My Savior, My Lifeline
by That Was Real Subtle Bentley
Summary: Alex was alone when Clementine found her and since then they've been through hell, until an unfortunate incident separates them. When Clementine arrives at Ericson's Boarding School, who would have imagined she would find her long-lost companion here? With the threat of the raiders looming over them, she realizes she has feelings for Alex, but will their reunion be short-lived?
1. Frosty

**Author's note:** Okay, so this is my first The Walking Dead story. And with that in mind, this franchise has many different outcomes and variations as you go. As a result, I will use the choices from my first playthrough and you'll see some smaller aspects of my decisions peppered through. I suppose once I get further along (S4 era) then it will be less subtle. Anyway, enjoy!

 ** _My Saviour, My Lifeline_** \- **Chapter 1 - Frosty**

* * *

 **?**

I'm running for my life. My chest is tightening as I sprint, my breathing coming out as sharp, ragged pulls for oxygen, the cold air burning in my lungs. T _hey're coming_ is all I can think, the two words repeating themselves in my head like a broken record. Yet I am numb, unfeeling and unresponsive, except for the laborious strides my legs are taking, automatically leading me through the chunky trees of the forest.

 _They're coming_.

I heaved myself over a fallen tree, ensuring the cord, with a solitary gold ring threaded on it, I clasped in my hand was secure. Slowing my pace down to a jog, I tuck it into my jean pocket so as not to lose it.

 _They're coming_.

I ease my jog up to a run, eager to increase the gap between myself and _them_ , whoever they were. I didn't stick around to find out. I grabbed the necklace and bolted.

My run is at a steady pace, but I know I will have to slow down and stay quiet soon. I don't want to attract those _things_. I pause for a moment, draw her knife, and keep going. The sharp smell of damp soil lingers in my nostrils and the wet leaves squelch under my mud-coated boots. I readjust the straps on my backpack and push my grimy glasses up my nose, the lenses smudged with fingerprints and flecks of blood. I pull my beanie, a discoloured white now resembling a shade closer to grey, out of my back pocket and drag it over my head before pressing on.

I take two steps before I hear a twig snap underfoot. I take half a step before realising it wasn't under my foot.

"I wouldn't do anything rash if I were you," says a female voice behind me. It sounded youthful, but it had a no-nonsense, cold edge to it. It sounded like it belonged to someone who was well beyond their years. I feel the cold barrel of a gun pressed against the back of my head. The simple touch of it makes me sick to my stomach. I announce that I'm going to place my knife on the ground and raise my hands. Slowly, I carry out the actions I promised.

"Now turn around, slowly," says the voice, to which I comply. Standing before me is a girl no older than myself, sporting a grubby baseball cap. A small, chubby face appears over the girl's shoulder; the face of a toddler. The toddler stares at me. I stare back.

"Are you alone?" asks the girl with the gun. "I heard a gunshot."

"That wasn't me," I reply. "I don't carry firearms."

The cap-wearing girl pulls a face of surprise before saying, "If that wasn't you, then we better get going. I don't want to find the people who did fire that shot."

"They're not friendly."

The girl with the cap doesn't reply and walks off. After a few strides, she pauses, registering that I wasn't following. "Are you coming?"

"Yeah."

I jog to catch up to her.

* * *

Night has fallen, the crispness of the afternoon has been replaced with an unwelcome chill. The Cap had said it would be best to set up a camp as she was too far away from her community.

"A community? I've always avoided those," I reply, grimacing. The Cap responds with a heavy sigh, bouncing the toddler on her lap. He continues to stare at me.

"You got a name?" I ask the Cap.

"Clementine. And this is AJ. What about you?"

"Alexandra-" I cringe, as I hate the name, "-Alex," I reply, extending a hand. Reluctantly, Clementine takes the hand, and shakes it. I note a tattoo she has on her hand, reading 'AJ'. I conclude that the girl has raised the toddler thus far and that his parents were probably dead. Judging from the lack of family resemblance, I suspect that they probably weren't related. But the tattoo and Clementine's manner with him suggest that she loves him more than anything.

We sit in silence, the weak crackling of the campfire barely filling the mute void. I retrieve the cord from my pocket and let the ring sit in the palm of my hand while the damaged cord dangles. My gaze is locked on the ring, yet I feel nothing. No grief or sadness, just numbness. I shoot a quick glance at Clementine, who is sat against a tree and is gently talking to AJ. I tie the frayed ends of the cord together, forming a tight knot. I examine my handiwork before threading it over my head.

Clementine looks up and spots the glint of gold on my chest. "What's that you've got there?" she asks. I don't reply, instead staring into the red flames of the fire. I watch out of the corner of my eye, I can see that she is staring at me. She seems taken aback by my indifference to the fact that I had completely ignored her. "Rude," she mutters, shaking her head in disbelief. She thinks that I didn't hear. She pulls AJ closer. "Are you warm enough, Goofball?" she coos, leaving a gap for him to respond. Nothing.

"He doesn't talk much, does he?" I pipe up, pulling my beanie more securely onto my head, my unkempt brown hair jutting out of the hat. I watch as Clementine's face creases with concern. "How old is he?" I continue.

"About two."

"He should be talking at this age."

"I _know_ ," Clementine grumbles, pulling AJ even closer to her. I can see his tiny body violently shivering against hers. Seeing the tiny tot suffering in this climate is painful. Watching Clementine's desperate and futile attempts to help him sends a pang of pity straight into my chest. I barely know this girl, yet I want to help them out.

"Here," I start as I peel my denim jacket off, "he needs this more than I do." I gently place the jacket around AJ's shoulders.

"Are you sure?" Clementine asks with a concerned expression - this time for my wellbeing, not AJ's.

"I'll be fine," I admit. Judging from the fact that I'm only sporting a T-shirt, Clementine looks unconvinced. I tense my body to mask my shivering and fold my arms across the chest for warmth. "He's just a baby. He's a lot more delicate than I am," I add as I push my glasses up my nose. The fire dies down, the faint lick of warmth it was providing me evaporating away, allowing the bone-chilling elements to work their way into my skin. I gently blow on my hands. I try to keep it quiet enough so Clementine doesn't hear. She's watching AJ slowly nod off, gently caressing his tiny head. She looks up at me.

"Thank you," she whispers, smiling with gratitude.

"No worries," I reply flatly with a dismissive wave of my hand, fighting to keep the shivering out of my voice. She gently brushes a few strands of hair out of her face.

"You don't talk much either."

I shrug. "What is there to talk about?"

"Maybe the fact that you're absolutely freezing?" she presses, shooting me a disapproving look.

"It's no concern of yours," I pathetically mumble, feeling my brow furrow into a scowl.

"It is when I have your jacket right here," she retorts. "Now stop being a stubborn idiot and get over here."

I feel my face twist with a perplexed expression. "Uh... _why_?"

"It's warmer when you're with other people," she offers weakly. She seems unsure of herself, as if she doesn't know what she's trying to offer. I can tell she's struggling to make her mind up about me; whether she can trust me or not. She's cautious, and even though I'm freezing my ass off, I respect her approach to me. While she's struggling to decide whether I'm trustworthy, I'm likewise unsure of her.

I shake my head. "Clementine, no offence, but I don't know you. I mean, you _did_ have a gun to my head only a few of hours ago."

"I don't know you either, yet I'm letting you stay," she says simply. "But if you want to freeze to death, that's your choice."

We sit in silence again and I concentrate all my energy on not letting my teeth chatter. I watch Clementine and study her. Strong, quiet, pretty.

What? Where did _that_ come from? I remind myself that I only _just_ met this girl. I know nothing about her. I don't know where she's from and I haven't got the slightest idea of the things she's done to survive. I've done some grisly things myself - who hasn't? - but I don't know why she might have done said gruesome things. Has she done stuff to protect herself, or just for the hell of it? Mother or sadist? Who knows? The wind whistles, lapping at my ears and chewing my skin. As I sit shivering, I recall that Clementine mentioned she was trying to get back to her community, so I ask her about it.

"They're called the New Frontier," she says, "and they're based in Richmond."

"And they took you and AJ in?"

She nods.

"If they take in a defenceless kid who can't contribute, then I take it that they're an accepting group?" I muse aloud.

She frowns at me. "Just because AJ is a kid-"

"-who said I was talking about AJ?" I interrupt, feeling a cocky smile grow on my face. She scowls even harder before her face melts into a smile. She lets out a small, sweet laugh. "Sorry, I couldn't resist," I apologise, my face still wearing a half-smile. "In all seriousness, the fact that you're looking after a baby is incredible. I mean, I guess we're like the same age? I can barely take care of myself."

She smiles at the compliment and I feel the chill leave my body. I sit up from my slouched position and shuffle closer to her. "You really have your shit together, Clementine. I respect that," I say, awkwardly looking away from her. What the hell am I doing? I only just met this girl... could this be viewed as flirting? I hope not.

"If anyone has made it this far," she replies, "then they have their shit together. You need to if you want to live."

"Debatable."

"Why's that?"

"I dropped my gun down a sewer drain months ago," I confess. "I was running away from some of the dead. I tripped over and let go of my gun. I watched it skid across the road and clatter straight down the drain," I resume, my voice adopting an unimpressed tone. I sigh, before continuing. "It's one of those stupid mistakes that ultimately get you killed. But for some reason, despite these screw-ups, I seem to be able to get out of some really tight spots. I don't know if it's reflexes or quick-thinking or simply luck, but there have been a lot of close calls that I should not have survived."

"I say that shows you have your shit together," she offers, rubbing her nose.

"For how long though?" I return. "One of these days, I'm going to end up in a tight spot that I won't be able to get out of. I can feel it." I feel my throat tighten as soon as I finish speaking. How much time do I have left? Days? Weeks? My stomach turns thinking about it. My pessimistic thoughts are interrupted by AJ, who emits a tiny squeak as he sleeps. Clementine beams as he shuffles in her arms. My heart melts at the sight of the pair. She peers up and I'm caught looking.

"Alex?"

"What?"

"You were looking at me."

"No, I wasn't."

"You were."

"Nope."

She glares at me and I can't tell if she's genuinely annoyed or is trying to mask a smile. It's unnerving. Clementine looks terrifying when she's pissed. She's even harder to read. It looks as though she's debating whether she would rather stab me or beat me up. Scary.

She attempts to stifle a yawn with little success.

"You get some sleep, I'll keep watch," I offer. She thanks me and starts to drift off while I prepare myself for a long, bitter night.

* * *

 **Clementine**

I wake up to AJ poking my face, a habit he's recently gotten himself into whenever he wants my attention. I gently grasp his tiny hand to restrain him.

"That's enough Goofball," I murmur sleepily. He desists his prodding, allowing me to rub my eyes. The bright sunlight is painful at first, but my eyes readjust. I look over to Alex, who is still awake. I blink a few times before register that she looks blue. "Oh my god!" I exclaim, hastily placing AJ on the floor and springing to my feet.

"Morning, Clem," she utters weakly with a pained smile. I whip the jacket off AJ and force her to put it on, which is a clumsy and uncoordinated process.

"Are you okay?" I cry, unable to register what was happening.

"I'm fine," Alex slurs, "I just can't feel my face. Or my legs. Or anything."

I start panicking, unsure of what do to. AJ starts bawling on the ground, clearly hungry. I try to calm him down, painfully conscious of the attention he is going to attract. I watch as Alex sinks out of consciousness, rolling onto her side. I curse. Is she dead? I don't want to stay long enough to find about, but what if she's okay? I can't just abandon her! If she hadn't given me her jacket, this would be AJ instead; she was right, he is more delicate!

She mumbles something, but I can't work out what it is. She's alive! I grab AJ and place him on my back, his screaming piercing my ears. "AJ! You will eat soon but now you need to keep quiet!" I plead, hoisting Alex's backpack over mine. I drop to my knees and slap her face. She stirs, her icy blue eyes briefly locking onto mine. "I'm going to get you out of here," I say shrilly, watching her fade back into unconsciousness. I fumble on her neck to find a pulse; it's dangerously weak.

I think about how far away my car is. Twenty minutes? Thirty? I'm not sure, but I know it will take even longer to get Alex there. I grab her under her arms and start dragging her. She's a lot lighter than I was expecting but we have a long way to go. AJ isn't settling down and it's making my ears ring. I keep dragging Alex but I starting to feel the strain creep into my arms.

Two walkers emerge from the distance, clearly being drawn in by AJ's crying. "Come on Alex! Work with me!" I hiss as I pull her along faster. She's not stirring. For now, the walkers are a comfortable distance away from us, but it would only be a matter of time before that distance shrunk. I pass a decaying, mossy log, which I think nothing off until I see the rotting arm of a walker shoot out from underneath, grabbing onto Alex's boot. It crawls out of its hiding place. I drop my companion, whip out my knife and lunge towards the walking corpse, sinking my blade into its head. It stops moving.

I sheath my knife and pull out my gun instead, before heaving Alex back up. As I drag her along, the arm of the walker I just killed breaks off, its hand still tightly latched onto her foot. Gross. I have to keep moving and I do. I keep dragging, dragging, dragging, constantly watching all my surroundings for any walkers. More of them seem to be cropping up in the distance and no matter how hard I beg, AJ will not stop crying.

I hear a walker snarl behind me. Instantly, I twist around, still holding onto Alex with one hand, and fire a round. The bullet embeds itself right between the eyes of the walker and it drops to the ground like a sack of potatoes. The gunfire causes AJ to start screaming harder and I wince in pain. I keep dragging Alex, who is still showing no signs of stirring.

It feels like an eternity of dragging Alex, killing walkers, and enduring AJ's cries before I reach the car. A brief wave of relief rushes over me as soon as I lay my eyes upon that scrap heap, but I don't stop. I feels my muscles screaming as I continue to pull Alex, yelling as I go: "Come on Alex! Stay with me! We're almost there!"

"W-what's going on?" she mumbles weakly.

"You're almost safe," I pant, feeling my legs buckle beneath me. "I just need your help to get past the last little bit. Can you walk?"

"Yes," she mumbled. I stop dragging Alex and help her to her feet, with her arm hooked around my neck, mine around her waist for support. The sudden lack of strain on my arms is a sweet relief, and we stagger to the car. I open the read passenger door and bundle Alex inside, before tearing open the front passenger side door and placing AJ on the seat. I buckle him up and hastily slam the car door. As a spin around, a walker lunges at me, pinning me against the car. My muscles start singing in agony again as soon as they have to hold up more weight and I find that I can't move. I feel my arms slowly give way beneath the walker, drawing it in closer...

My face is sprayed with a cold, disgusting-smelling liquid and the walker sags in my arms. I shove it away from me, where it tumbles to the ground. I breathe heavily, unable to process what had just happened. And then I see the knife sticking out of its head. I look to my left and find an exhausted-looking Alex clinging to the car door.

"Could you get my knife for me?" she asked quietly. "Because if I let go of this car door I _will_ fall over."

* * *

 **So that's it! If you enjoyed it, drop a review and if you're interested in more, slap it on your alerts list with a follow!**

 **Until next time,**

 **Subtle**


	2. Ritualistic Burning

**Author notes: I... wow. Holy crap, that was _seriously_ unexpected. 4 favourites, 5 follows, 3 reviews and the view count... wow. That is the most amount of attention I have received for a single chapter on anything I have ever done, let alone the very first chapter. This is the first time I've contributed anything to _The Walking Dead_ and I'm in disbelief. You guys have blown me away, thank you so much!**

 **Just to reiterate, I am using my choices from my very first playthrough of these games. This includes major choices such as who to save or who to go with, to minor dialogue choices (to the best of my memory, mind), no exceptions, no tweaks, at least for the most part. I started playing these games in 2016 (I was up to date when _A New Frontier_ dropped), so my original choices are a lot fresher in my memory compared to people who started back when Season 1 dropped. If there are certain moments that I have to tweak, then I will, BUT I will mention this at the end of the chapter and explain what my actual choice was and why I had to tweak this. This might get interesting when 'Broken Toys' drops whenever it does, as I don't know how much the story will branch from this episode onwards.**

 **As you can tell from Clementine's ink, I shot Kenny and went with Jane, and I feel terrible for it now.**

 **To the anon reviewer: I am glad to be of service!**

 **So, I'll shut up now. Bring on the chapter!**

* * *

 **Alex**

I don't remember what happened after I killed the dead thing except for when the leafy ground went flying towards my face. I wake up and everything is a blurry mess. I squint hard, which does little to focus my surroundings. With a clumsy hand, I pat the flimsy table to my left for my glasses and I find them. Remembering how filthy they were, I give them a quick wipe with my shirt before putting them on. The room snaps back into a sharp focus, although the dim light is bent by the still-present smudges on my glasses. So much for that.

I'm in a tent, not a room, and it's empty. I sit up, noticing that my jacket is hung over a nearby camping chair. My boots, which are caked in mud, are neatly placed beneath the chair and my backpack beside it too. Something on my right boot catches my eye: gouge marks. How did that happen? Was I grabbed? The thought of the dead sinking its fingers into me send chills down my spine. I've seen them tear into people on a few occasions, watched them shred the soft skin of terrified adults who know that it's the end for them. I unwillingly revisit these people in my sleep, watching the dead rip into them like wet paper, their agonised screams ringing in my ears.

I stretch my feet and wiggle my toes. It's nice to feel them again. All I remember is the harsh cold creeping into my body, consuming me. I try to recall what happened. All I can remember is numbness and Clementine yelling. I wring my hands, also relieved to be able to feel them again. I rub them together to warm them and I'm grateful for the embracing sensation of the heat I generate.

I hear voices coming from outside the tent. I hear one male voice and one female.

"It's a good thing you brought your friend here as quickly as you did, otherwise she would not have made it," he says.

"It wasn't easy, but I did what I could," says the other voice, which I work out to be Clementine's. I swing my legs over the side of the bed and I get up. I feel light-headed and collapse back onto the bed. Head rush.

The pair enter the tent. The man, who I assume from his white coat is a doctor, looks like he's in his late thirties, maybe early forties. He has short brown hair and is sporting black-framed glasses. He has a cold, stern face. I spot something on the back of his left hand and I'm pretty sure it's a burn of some kind. Its pattern perplexes me. I look up to Clementine, whose face instantly lights at as soon as she sees me.

"Alex!" she says excitedly. She weaves past the doctor and dashes up to the bed, wrapping her arms around my neck and pulling me into a tight hug. "I'm so glad you're okay," she effuses. I'm not sure what to do so I gingerly pat her back with a single hand.

"I'm fine. How's AJ?" I ask, still patting her. She partially releases the hug; she still has her arms around me. I awkwardly readjust my glasses since her hug knocked them askew.

"He's doing fine, thanks to you," Clementine says, her brown eyes locked onto mine. I could swear for a split second I saw her well up. It's no wonder, she loves that boy.

"You saved my life. We're even," I say, offering a soft smile. She smiles back at me and I start to feel my stomach knot up slightly. I feel my face start to burn and awkwardly look away.

"So," says the man, interrupting our moment, "Miss Alexandra-"

"I prefer Alex, if you don't mind," I correct, trying hard to not sound rude. Clementine straightens up. She brushes the two strands of hair away from her face as she sits on the bed beside me.

"Very well," he says with a small nod. " _Alex_ , I'm Doctor Lingard." He extends his hand, which I grasp and shake firmly.

"Nice to meet you."

"You are lucky to be alive, Alex, especially in these conditions." I think he's referring to the fact that society had crumbled and taken nearly everything with it. With no indoor heating available on-demand, everyone's more likely to freeze to death. And I very nearly did. He looks at me as if I'm some sort of miracle child, which I find unsettling. "You're lucky Clementine was with you."

"Very lucky," I affirm, "aside from the part where she held me up." I turn to her. "That wasn't the best first meeting."

"It was just a precaution," she says to Lingard. "I've already explained it to David. She was travelling alone, and I heard gunfire."

"Before you ask," I add, "I don't know who was attacking. But they didn't follow me."

"-which I already mentioned to David," said Clem this time directed to me. I want to ask her who the hell David is but decide against it, at least until Lingard has gone.

I stand up and extend my hand out to Lingard, which he takes. "Thank you," I say to him. "You helped me even though I'm not a part of this community. I really appreciate it." He says nothing, but nods before turning and leaving the tent, leaving me alone with Clementine. I scoop up my boots from beside the chair and return to my spot on the camp bed.

"You do need to work on your introductions," I say as I pull on my boots and lace them. "Some people might get the wrong idea and think you're a psycho killer." She snorts with laughter and gently nudges me. I lazily shove her back. "So," I start awkwardly, "tell me about this place. What's their setup?"

"This is the New Frontier. There are four leaders: David, Joan, Clint, and Lingard, who you've just met," she says simply. "We're currently searching for a place to rebuild, to home this community."

"And no luck so far?"

She shakes her head. "A lot of these places are filled with walkers. Clearing them out will be too dangerous."

"Walkers, huh?" I highlight with a small laugh. "You mean the dead?"

Clementine shrugs apologetically. "It's what I've always called them."

"I like it. Mind if I start using it?" I ask with a small chuckle, while simultaneously gripping the frames of my glasses and pulling them up my face. Someone else enters the tent: a tall man with a serious, determined expression. I note his brand is located on his neck.

"Alex," he says with a seemingly fatherly hint to his voice. Clementine and I both stand. "Come this way; the others are waiting for you."

* * *

 **Clementine**

Alex seemed eager enough to join New Frontier. They helped her, and she wanted to give something back. The four leaders were convinced that she would be a capable member, especially since I vouched for her too. That seemed to do very little since she gave a convincing account of how much of a fighter she is, her firearm ability (omitting the sewer drain incident, I noticed), and that she can look after herself and groups effectively, even her ability to drive, which surprised them, considering her age.

I get the vibe that she's more hardened than me yet her oddly jovial manner also suggests otherwise. She seems to change between Miss-Friendly and Miss-Serious as if someone has flipped a switch. I can't read her. Either way, she won't talk about her past. She didn't with me and she revealed nothing to New Frontier. Before we were allowed to leave, David pulled me aside and asked me to gently explain how our 'rite of passage' works here, believing that it would be best coming from me, instead of them. Judging from the thunderous look on Joan's face, it seemed that she didn't approve of the softer approach David wanted to take with her.

"Alex," I say as I pull up my left shirt sleeve, "you see this?"

She examines the New Frontier brand on my arm and says "That's the same mark the doctor had. And David. And everyone else... oh." Her face drops when she realises what they do here. "What the _fuck_ , Clem?! When they said I had to prove my loyalty," she says, clearly freaking out, "I thought they meant help out with the place, not _mutilate_ myself!" She frantically paces around the tent; the tent AJ and I were assigned but offered to share with my new companion.

"It'll be okay," I reassure gently, approaching her.

"How can it be okay?!" she shouts. "They're going to get a white-hot piece of metal and press is against my arm! It's going to burn the shit out of me and blister me and the best part? When they pull the branding iron off my arm, it'll come away with skin! My skin!" She yells "Shit!" and sends a camping chair flying with a swift kick. It crashes into the camp bed, denting the metal frame slightly with an oddly satisfying _clang_. I grab her arm, which is unlikely to make a statement since she stands a couple of inches over me.

"Alex, I know this isn't ideal," I press, "but what choice do you have? You either do what they want, or they throw you out. Not being on the road all the time is the better choice. You have to trust me with this."

She stops her rage-induced pacing, her pissed expression sinking into a worried one. She looks like a scared kid, her round face emphasising her fear. I recall that she is, we both are, still kids, deep down. We just forget it most of the time.

"Can't I just get a marker and draw it on?" she pleads helplessly. "Or, get it inked on? You've got a tattoo," she points to my hand, "surely you know how to do it? You could tattoo their mark on me. It would be just the same and we can do it in sessions and..." she falters, tears of frustration welling up in her eyes.

I sadly shake my head and place my hand on her shoulder. "It's not that bad," I say softly. "They won't let you go out on their searches until it's fully healed. Lingard will keep an eye on you. They're not monsters."

"Uh, hello?" she mustered weakly. "They brand people. That sounds about as much fun as a twisted bra strap, Clem!"

I smirk. "It's easier to deal with than the strap," I say, trying to lighten the situation. Alex lets out a hollow chuckle, shaking her head sadly. She looks up at me, with a pained expression on her face. She looks weary and exhausted, the time on the road taking its toll, showing its mark. "You need to stop this lone wolf attitude," I add, "because you'll end up dying for nothing. This is for the best, Alex. Trust me."

She stops and rubs her face with both hands while letting out a deep sigh. "I guess it is a small price to pay for somewhere safe," she says wearily. "I can't believe I'm actually considering this," she says as she faces me. "I'll do it." And with that, she drags the sleeve of her T-Shirt up, exposing her left shoulder. She points to it and asks, "Is here okay?"

I nod. Although they prefer the mark to be in plain sight, where you have the brand placed is entirely your choice. After all, burning a pattern into your skin is a big ask, the least they can do is let you decide where you get scorched.

"Then let's go." She suddenly strides out of the tent with the sleeve still rolled over her shoulder. I, not expecting her to leave so soon, scramble to follow her. As we pass through the camp, everyone stops and watches the newcomer as she determinedly passes them, preparing for the initiation ritual. I half-run, half-walk behind her, struggling to keep up with her pace. She marches up to David, who is talking to Lingard, and announces that she is ready. The look of surprise on his face suggests that he wasn't ready to hear that from Alex so soon, but his shock is replaced with an expression that faintly resembles pride. Something tells me David wouldn't have been thrilled to be forced to turf Alex out.

He places his hand on her sleeved shoulder and leads her back to the central campfire, passing the tent we emerged from en route. As we pass, I quickly check on AJ, who I left with a woman who I believe once had kids before the walkers came. They're nowhere to be seen now. He is sat on a sheet, examining a twig from the ground.

"Hey Goofball," I say softly as I crouch down to him. He says nothing. He looks at me and I see a small smile creeping on his face. Alex's words circle my head.

 _"He should be talking at this age."_

I feel anxiety creep into my throat. I always talk to him, yet he can't speak. I don't know what I'm doing wrong or if there is anything I can do to fix it. It eats away at me from time to time.

"I won't be long now," I continue, warily looking up at Alex as she walks off with David. AJ looks back at the twig he is clutching in his chubby fist, his brow furrowing as he studies it. His face lights up as he holds the twig up to me, inviting me to look at it. I chuckle. "Very nice, AJ." I tickle him under his neck which causes him to squeal with delight. "I'll be back soon." I climb to my feet and weave my way through the camp, skipping over tent pegs and pushing my way through the gathering crowd.

There she is; Alex is stood before David, Joan, Clint, and Lingard, her facial expression stoic, her jaw set, her eyes unmoving before the dozens of faces staring at her. There's also a guy standing near the fire, heating up the branding iron. Joan steps up to the crowd, preparing to speak.

"Today," she says, the crowd falling deathly silent, "we have someone who wishes to join our community. This girl-" She points at Alex. "-has endured all of the hardships on the road and survived! She is a resilient fighter, one who can fight for herself and for others! But, as credible as these statements may be, these are just claims! She will need to prove herself and her abilities, prove herself worthy to be a part of this cause. Before she does that, she needs to prove her unwavering loyalty to us, the New Frontier!"

Silence. No one dares makes a sound. The guy pulls the brand out of the fire and its glowing a dangerously fierce white-orange. I feel my own brand tingle as I recall how painful it was; I screamed, and I couldn't stop myself. It was easily more painful than the time I cleaned and stitched up the dog bite on my own with a fishing hook.

Nervously, Alex tugs at her shirt sleeve, ensuring that it is out of the way. The branding guy approaches her, pulling a hip-flask out of his pocket. He offers it to her and she takes a sip. She pulls a face and starts coughing. He whispers something to her, I can't make out what, but judging from the fact that she drains the rest of its contents, he had indicated that she ought to drink all of it. She hands the flask back, losing her balance slightly as she does so. She ensures, yet again, that her shirt sleeve is out of the way and points to her shoulder. The branding guy nods and holds the branding iron level to her chosen spot of mutilation.

She stands there, her back straight, her arms still, her sparkling ring hanging from the cord around her neck. Her eyes are set dead straight, as if they are unseeing. She doesn't move a single muscle, standing as sturdy as the nearby trees. It's an incredible sight. She looks almost fearless, and in this moment, she earns my complete and unwavering respect. I'm proud of her and I feel pride's swell in my chest.

He presses the iron against her shoulder and Alex buckles slightly before regaining her composure, her facial expression unchanged. The firelight catches the tears streaming down her face, making them visible. She bites her lip and screws up her eyes, the burning sensation clearly getting to her. This is agonising to watch and as soon as I start to have thoughts about telling them to stop, the guy pulls the iron away from her, taking a string of skin with it.

Alex watches as the iron is pulled away and doesn't initially register what the _weird stringy object_ coming off her is. Whatever was in that hipflask was clearly some strong stuff. Then she clocks it. Her eyes widen, and her legs give way beneath her. She tumbles to the ground, only to be caught by David, who lunges towards her, clearly anticipating what was going to happen. She hangs limply, unconscious.

"Alexandra is now one of us, one of the New Frontier!" she announces. No one cheers, no one applauds. Everyone stands in silence. A soft breeze whistles through the camp but it has a wintry hint to it. It chills me, forcing me to gingerly untie my jacket from around my waist and put it on, trying hard to not make a sound or draw attention to myself. After what seems like decades, the crowd is dismissed, and I shove through people, ignoring their protests, to get to Alex, who is being carried by David to the medical tent. As soon as I'm clear of the crowd I sprint to the pair. David beckons for me to follow and I do.

* * *

 **Alex**

I come to, surprise surprise, on another camp bed, but this time it's within a more open tent. My shoulder is screaming in agony and I can't move it. I turn my head to inspect it and find it's tightly wound with bandages.

"Glad to see you're awake," says a voice to my right. My head snaps to its direction.

"Clem," I say, greeting her. She's sat on a chair on my bedside. "We need to stop meeting like this," I add with a cheeky smirk. She smiles but shakes her head disapprovingly, acting as if she's sick of my dopey jokes. But I can tell she likes them. Me on the other hand? I'm not getting those _like-like_ vibes from her and it's disappointing. Maybe time will tell? I try to pull myself up but struggle on account of the stiffness in my shoulder. Clementine leaps up to help me out and I swing my feet, booted this time, over the camp bed. I ask what happened.

"You passed out," she answers. "I think it was the pain and when you saw your skin on the iron. You could see that it took you a couple of seconds to realise what was going on."

"It's a bit pathetic," I grumble, annoyed with my weak display of endurance. I lick my bottom lip and discover the metallic taste of blood. I examine my lip with my fingers and find the tissue is ragged. I must have bit it _really_ hard when I was being branded, yet I don't remember the biting at all.

"It wasn't," Clementine says while I examine the lip damage. "You took it really well. You didn't make a sound. I screamed like a bitch with mine, with the whisky too." That stuff is strong. And gross. I assume from Clementine's statement that the supply of alcohol is routine in the ritual. She's right, they're not _complete_ monsters. I muster a weak smile, indicating that I appreciate her efforts at making me feel better. "You were really brave. I've seen a few newcomers go through that, and your reaction was the strongest I've ever seen. It was probably the strongest anyone has seen here. You looked unstoppable."

"Thanks, Clementine," I say, rubbing my neck as I feel my cheeks burning, not from an iron, but from blushing. Why am I reacting like such an idiot? It's a simple compliment for Christ sake! A woman comes by the tent with AJ and hands him over to Clementine, and she thanks him. While neither caretaker notices, I spot he has a brown leaf in his mouth, which he is chewing slightly.

"Clem," I say with a quick nod and a point towards the infant. She looks down at the toddler in her arms and her face lights up with humorous surprise, and she wrestles the leaf out of his mouth.

"You shouldn't eat leaves, Goofball," she says with a chuckle. She discards of the leaf and we watch it catch the wind and sail away into the shadows positioned on the outskirts of the camp.

"Why Goofball?" I ask politely.

"I don't know," she replies with a shrug, "I've always called him Goofball, ever since he was a baby. It stuck."

"He'll hate that name as he gets older," I return, "but it's better than Shitbird." She facepalms herself before agreeing with my statement. I push my glasses up my nose and suddenly realise they were left on this time, thankfully. If I lose them or they break, I'm basically worm food. I can barely see my hand in front of my face. I can read without them but that's it. If a walker is as close as a book is, then I'm history. "Now that I think of it," I continue, the stray thought interrupting my morbid ones, "what's AJ short for?"

"Alvin Junior," she says with a sad sigh. There's something in her expression that bothers me, as if the name itself brings back some painful memories. I decide that now is not the time to press for answers. There will be other times to ask about the boy's parentage.

"I see."

We don't say anything for a while. AJ stares at me. I stare back. He stares at me. I stick my tongue out. He laughs, and his giggling causes me to crack up.

"He's a cute kid," I say to Clementine. "You've done really well raising him, talking or not."

She offers a sincere smile of gratitude but says nothing else.

"You know what's really annoying about this brand?" I ask, trying to coax some conversation out of her.

"What?"

"It smells of bacon. It's making me hungry."

She gives me a playfully disgruntled look that makes my heart skip a beat and I curse myself for being such a moron, for feeling this way.

* * *

 **So, that's it for another chapter. We're in pre- _New Frontier_ territory at the moment but we'll be in the _Final Season_ soon enough. As always, thank you for checking this out! If there's anything you'd like to mention or suggest, drop a review. If you're new here and want to join this journey, smack that follow button and you'll receive an alert when the next chapter drops! **

**Until next time,**

 **Subtle.**


	3. Shelved

**Hey hey, we're back with a third chapter. And I just want to say that I am still overwhelmed by the response for this. We've jumped up to 5 favourites and 10 follows, which is nuts considering this has been out for only three weeks. You guys are awesome!**

 **Anywho, I reply to reviews, but I figured I'd stick them here since an anon reviewer dropped a review on the first chapter. It's also easier to keep track of who I've responded to.**

 **Review replies:**

 **Jestalnaker94000 - They are, they are indeed. But who knows how far that'll go, or how long that'll last (I do, I know everything)?  
**

 **So that is all, onto the chapter!**

* * *

 **Clementine**

It's been a few weeks since Alex's branding and she's finally been given the all-clear by Lingard to join us on these scouting trips. The objective; to investigate places that could be our next home and clear them of walkers. Alex, cradling her rifle, hasn't said a single word so far. She's walking ahead of me, near the front of the group. There are ten of us, each selected by David to do these dangerous tasks. We're resilient and capable; we're some of the best New Frontier has to offer. There's another group, with similar numbers, scouting another place. We're looking at a large supermarket, not for the food, which is likely to be toxic sludge now, but for the space and the security. I jog lightly to catch up to Alex.

"How's it going?" I ask hurriedly, suddenly struggling to keep up with her. She's walking fast!

"It's going fine," she replies bluntly, still looking ahead. I grip her arm and drag her to a steadier pace. We lag behind a few people.

" _Alex_ ," I say reproachfully, "talk to me. What's wrong? Are you nervous?"

"Nervous?" she snorts defensively. "I know what I'm doing."

"Then what's wrong?"

"I've gotta baaad feelin' about this, Clem," she says disconcertingly. I say nothing, and she elaborates. "I mean, a supermarket? Doesn't seem all that safe. Few ways out, narrow aisles, darkness. And it's going to be easy to get cornered and ambushed if there are any walkers about." I pause. She's right, and I tell her so. She drags her hat further onto her head and falls silent again. I pat her shoulder.

"As long as we've got each other, we'll be fine," I say. "We kick ass."

"Hopefully," she returns. "Today's the field test, Shorty."

"I've told you to stop fucking calling me that!" I groan, causing her to laugh heartily. I scowl at her, yet her smile doesn't fade. The nickname stuck over a stupid little incident two weeks ago, where I couldn't reach something and Alex had to swoop in to help.

"But you are short though," she teases me, grinning harder. I punch her in the arm, hard. She recoils in pain.

"Next time, it's the branded arm," I threaten playfully.

"Jeez, what a bitch."

She shoves me away, and I stagger on one foot before regaining my balance. I roll my eyes and shake my head. _What a dork_ , I think. One minute she's my favourite person, and the next she's driving me mad! I look over to her and see that her smile is slowly fading as we near our target. I share her apprehension and I think she knows this. We both speed up our pace and reach the front of the group, almost taking the lead. The entire group continues through the forest in absolute silence, the moist leaves squelching beneath our feet. We break away from the forest as we reach a road. It's empty and silent. A couple of abandoned cars sit nearby. They're in pretty good condition, which surprises me.

"That must be it," Alex pipes up beside me as she points with her left arm, her right cradling the rifle. The rest of the group stop and we all strain to follow her pointing.

And then we see it. The large supermarket has ivy creeping all over its walls, masking the red brickwork which is barely poking through. The windows of the main doors are smeared and dirty, making it difficult to see what's inside. They look like automatic doors and, thankfully, they're not opening. That seems to be the only upside to not having electricity like we used to; nothing can wander in or out as it pleases. A pigeon flies off the roof, taking a loose tile with it. The slate slides down the roof and tumbles to the ground, shattering against the concrete, the sound resonating through the air. I hear Alex clear her throat beside me. As I turn to her, I see her tugging at her shirt collar, chewing on her lip slightly. Poor girl; she doesn't seem to be doing too good.

Our team leader, Jason, a tall, stocky guy with long hair, a thick beard, and an awful attitude, speaks up and tells everyone to move up, and we comply. We inch closer to the supermarket, our eyes scanning every inch of it as we approach, searching for any sign of movement. I brush the stray strands of hair out of my face before pushing up, closely behind Alex and Jason.

We're positioned right in front of the supermarket when Alex hisses, "Wait." I come to a complete stop and so do the others behind me. Jason, however, keeps going.

"Quit messin' around," he snaps at Alex, "we've gotta job to do!"

"No, I'm serious," she insists and zips up to the front doors. She holds her ear near the door, while holding up a hand to silence us. She ushers us over and says, "You guys don't hear that?"

"Hear what?" says Ellie, a sullen-looking girl in her late teens.

"The dead."

I step up to Alex and listen at the doors alongside her. I can hear the faint snarling of walkers inside. I straighten up and turn to the others.

"She's right. They're in there," I confirm, backing her up.

"Then we go in and take them out," Jason says irritably, clearly getting annoyed at Alex's unintentional attempts to undermine his authority in front of his group. Well, intentional, unintentional, I'm not sure. She certainly doesn't take any shit from anyone. Either way, Jason hates it and it's no secret. I look over to him and his face is like thunder.

"No," Alex utters in a low, disconcerting voice, still listening at the door, "there are too many of them in there. I'm guessing about forty, fifty, maybe even sixty of them. It's suicide." I'm amazed by the exact figure she produced.

"How can you tell?" I ask.

"I've spent a lot of time alone and I used to listen and count. It was something I challenged myself to do to pass the time at night. I can distinguish between different walkers and then work out how many there are." Interesting. With a skill like that, I believe that she has spent _a lot_ of time on her own and that seems to be showing now. She's taking charge and creating plans based on her own instincts, her own feelings. I have a feeling that if she was challenged, she would probably do her own thing regardless. I think it's her way or the highway with Alex.

"So, what do we do now?" asks Daniel, a man in his early twenties. Alex steps away from the door and turns towards the group

"We find a side door, like a staff entrance," she replies without hesitation, "and we make a path into the store. We make a lot of noise and lure them out. The side door should make a nice bottleneck and we can concentrate on a few at a time without getting surrounded. Under no circumstances are we to enter the store until we've taken most of them out. We only go in to clear the stragglers and to see how salvageable this place is."

The group murmur in agreement. Jesus, this girl is a faster thinker than I am. Just like that, she has a fully fleshed-out plan that no one has any objections to.

"It's a plan," I say. I hear a muted growl coming from Jason's throat. "Do you have a problem with that, Jason?" I ask threateningly. He glares at me. I fold my arms and stare at him defiantly. He's been upstaged by the two of us in front of seven other people and it has heavily bruised his ego, but he says nothing. "That's what I thought," I add, before turning to Alex. "Let's find that side door."

* * *

 **Alex**

"Let's find that side door," Clementine says as she gives me a nod, indicating I take the lead. We move around to the right of the building, which opens up into a large, empty, parking lot. I mentally note that we've got plenty of space to spread out in case this falls apart, which, hopefully, it shouldn't. I also note that Jason has slunk to the rear of the group.

 _That's right, asshole_ , I think, _I'm in charge now_. While my brand was healing, I spoke to different people in the community, learning who was solid in the field and who left much to be desired. I was very disappointed to find that Ava, one of David's best, was leading the other group, meaning we'd be stuck with Jason. After speaking to many people, I got him narrowed down to a simple profile: arrogant, reckless, stupid. A good fighter, but poor leader. I'll be damned if I'm letting him lead us to our deaths with his shitty planning. No way is that happening. Hopefully no one noticed what I did was not a kid simply suggesting an idea, but a kid taking over from a grown man. They don't know me well enough, so I doubt it. Jason looked pretty angry when Clementine challenged him, but he'll get over it.

The side doors, which are double doors with handles and peeling blue paint, are locked tight. They have a chain hooked around both handles, which is secured with a padlock. I tug on the padlock, silently hoping that it wasn't closed properly. I twist it in my hand and see it's locked tight.

"Damn," Clementine says behind me. "Now what?"

"Gimme a second," I reply as I sling my rifle over my shoulder and bury my hand in my jeans pocket. I produce a purple paperclip and proudly show it to everyone.

"What the fuck are you playing at?" spits Jason, his face red with rage.

"This, ladies and gentlemen, is my lucky paperclip. I took it from my school not long before this all started. Had it for years."

"You have a lucky paper clip?" he continues, challenging me still.

"I can pick locks, and we need to open this padlock. I'd say the fact that I have it is pretty lucky," I reply sternly, not taking any of his shit. "Now give me some space so I can crack this baby." I unravel the paperclip and get to work, the others keeping watch.

"You never stop amazing me," Clementine whispers in my ear, and I feel my face start to burn.

"I'm a box of tricks, always have been," I say half-heartedly in response, focusing more on the lock.

"No shit," she says with a small chuckle that's so cute my fingers slip from my paperclip.

"Crap," I mutter, wiping my hand on my jeans to get rid of the excess moisture. Why am I such a mess with her? Nine times out of ten I have nerves of steel. She melts the steel as if it's silly putty. A little voice speaks in the back of my head.

 _It's because she's so freakin' cute_. And I tell that voice to shove it where the sun don't shine. I can't let myself fall, I could lose her by tomorrow. This could fall apart, and we could both end up dead. I can't deal with that loss, not after everything I've been through...

"What's wrong?" she asks, bringing me back to reality.

"Slipped. There." The padlock pops open and I unhook it off the chain, which tumbles to the ground like a dead snake, making a dull _thud_ upon impact. Alright, now we're talking. I carefully fold the paperclip back to what it used to look like. At least, as close as I can; it looks a bit crooked now. I tuck it into my pocket while Clementine heaves the chain out of the way of the door. I pull the handles and the door swings open, the hinges squeaking and the door scraping against the concrete. Too loud for my liking. I peer inside.

It looks like a dark, dingy storeroom. The sunlight that filters in does little to illuminate the place. The metal shelves have collapsed toppled over and have been left on their side. Pieces of cardboard litter the floor, alongside the empty boxes supermarkets used to display fruit in. The shimmer of a puddle appears by the door on the other side of the room. A leak perhaps? I can't hear anything inside; it sounds like the walkers are all inside the main store.

"So, what are you waiting for?" Jason asks me with an aggressive shove. "Get going."

"Asshole," I say as I push up my glasses and pull on my hat.

"I heard that."

"You were meant to. Clem, Ellie, Daniel, with me."

The three of them comply and follow me inside. The other five plus Jason hang back at the door. Daniel breaks out his flashlight and illuminates our way through the water and cardboard slush on the ground, none of us daring to say a word. We reach the door, which has a little window for viewing into the main store. I peer in. All I can muster is "Oh, shit..."

"What is it?" Clementine asks as she moves me out of the way, looking through the window on her tiptoes. "Shit." I move her back and look through again.

Through that dingy little window, I can see dozens of walkers milling about in the dimly-lit store, their decaying bodies brushing against each other. Ellie and Daniel both have a look each before I try to open the door. It's locked, but, thankfully, there's a small knob I can twist this side. Before I unlock it, I ask the three of them if they're ready.

"Yeah," says Daniel.

"Uh-huh," affirms Ellie with a nod.

"Go for it Alex," Clementine adds while wearing a determined expression on her pretty face.

 _Focus, Alex!_ I scold myself. Before I can turn back to the door, we hear the other door, our only way out of here, scrape shut behind us.

"Oh no. No no no no!" I shout as I sprint towards the other door. I slip on a piece of soggy cardboard and fly to the ground, smacking my head on one of the shelves. I let out a pained shout as a stabbing pain sears through my brain, as if someone stabbed a steel bar into it. My vision turns into a blinding bright white and I can't see a thing.

* * *

 **Clementine**

I watch as Alex slips and smacks her head on the collapsed shelving, while Daniel and Ellie bolt to the door, the flashlight Daniel was holding clattering to the floor. It doesn't break, its beam pointing towards the grounded girl, lighting her up.

"Son of a bitch!" Ellie yells. "The chain's back on!"

I sprint to Alex and crouch down, who is dazed and unseeing. Gingerly, Alex pulls herself up into a sitting position. I guide her as she shuffles to her right side to lean back on a stack of crates.

"Alex, are you okay?" I press, lifting her face to look at mine.

"Head hurts," she mumbles. And then I see it; the growing patch of crimson seeping through her hat. _Shit_. I whip the hat off and see the gash on the side of her head, the glistening blood matting her hair. I fold the hat once and press it against her head with both hands, hoping to stem the flow.

"Stay with me, Al, you're going to be okay," I say, trying hard to mask the panic in my voice. The hat quickly feels warm and drenched. This is not looking good... The other two are rattling at the door, banging at it with their fists. I turn to them and whisper urgently, "Guys, you need to stop the shouting! The walkers inside will hear us!"

"So, what do you suggest we do?" Daniel snaps.

"Maybe stop Alex from bleeding?" I hiss, before violently pointing to the bloody rag pressed against her head that faintly resembles a hat. "Find anything that I can use, this thing is soaked!"

I hear the pair of them scramble in the background, groping and searching through the debris scattered about. I watch Alex, who can barely keep her eyes open. I wipe my brow with a hand, replacing the sweat with a moist smear of blood instead, before returning it to the hat. I notice how filthy her glasses are; coated with grubby fingerprints and flecks of blood. The glasses give her a nerdy, knowledgeable look. Combined with the worn, dirty, torn, and bloody clothes, it doesn't really fit. It's unique though, recognisable, iconic. It's a look that fills me with joy whenever I see it. Just not like this.

"Alex, talk to me, where are you from?" I urge. I already know the answer. I just need anything to keep her conscious, anything to keep her alive. Ellie hands me an old T-Shirt, one that was probably part of the uniform for the store employees. I discard the sodden hat beside us and bundle up the shirt. I press it against her head and wait for a response. After what feels like eternity, she finally speaks.

"Nashville," is all she can muster.

"You're a long way from home."

"You and AJ are my home, Shorty," she slurs. I feel my eyes widen as I process what she has just said. This girl has nothing left, yet she considers me and Goofball a huge and significant part of her life. I've only known her for a few weeks!

"You're my home too, you big dork," I return, choking on my words slightly. I pull the shirt away. The bleeding seems to be slowing down a bit. I apply the pressure again and ask "What about your family? Tell me about your parents, do you have any siblings?"

"My mom, my dad, my brother. Dead. They're all dead." At least she still remembers this. She'll be okay, I hope.

"I'm so sorry," I whisper, still holding the shirt against her head. She doesn't respond. The flashlight beam highlights how pale she is, her soft features exaggerating how defenceless she is, how vulnerable she is. I think back to the night I found her and the fact that AJ most likely wouldn't have made it through. I still can't get over how selfless (and dangerous, the stupid bitch!) her act was. It feels like it was mere hours ago when we first met, and already here I am, trying to stop her from bleeding. I don't know how this can end. I could lose her.

I can't lose her. She's one of the best friends I've had since this mess started. Her sharp wit and sense of humour is a light to me in these dark times. She has always looked out for me and AJ, always putting us before herself. She has always made sure that we have food before she even gets up for her evening meal and has done so every single night since I brought her to New Frontier. I know that if I lost her, there would be a huge hole in my life. Everything will feel emptier. And why?

Because she's the best companion I've ever had through all of this. We're similar in so many ways but different in the right ones. She's my rock, and I can't lose my rock. Not now. I brush a few strands of her brown hair away from her face as they're stuck to the sweat on her head. Alex's icy blue eyes snap back into focus.

"Jesus but this hurts," she says as she raises her hand to the shirt, placing her hand over mine.

"Alex!" I squeak. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. This stings like a bitch." She shoots a warm smile to reassure me, but it looks pained. "I'll be fine though."

"Good," I say with a slight voice crack, a pathetic attempt to hide the fact that I'm almost crying. _Home_. Despite the gravity of the situation, what she said keeps circling in my head. _Home_. This girl, who I only met a few weeks ago, is so sweet. I feel a very slight flutter in my stomach, but I have no idea what it is. It's been a while since I last ate, since last night. Maybe it's that.

"You've got something on your forehead though," she says, her usual smile growing. I show her my hands, which are bright red and dripping. "You can borrow it," she continues, "but I'd like it back soon. I've grown quite attached to my blood."

"You never take a day off, do you?" I say with a small chuckle. I wipe my bloody hands on my jeans, leaving a crimson smear down the front of my legs. Wonderful.

"It's no fun otherwise. Can we leave now?" she asks, still slightly dazed.

"I'm afraid not, we're locked in."

"Oh yeah. And no one's nearby?"

"No," says Daniel, his ear pressed against the door. "Looks like Jason has deliberately driven them away so they don't know about this. I don't hear voices outside."

"So, what do we do?" I ask the group, climbing to my feet. I outstretch a hand to Alex, who takes it. I heave her up. Alex wobbles on her feet briefly before regaining her balance.

"Go through the store," Alex says simply. The other two stare at her. She rolls her eyes and gives out a frustrated sigh. "You guys don't remember the front of the store? The glass? We break that, we can go through."

"The walkers though?" Ellie snaps, squaring up to Alex. Alex doesn't flinch, again standing tall and proud. It's impressive and I get slight chills. This girl, despite looking so delicate, is scary. "You said, and these are your words, that under no circumstances are we to enter the store, or did that slip your mind when you hit your head?"

"That was before Jason thought it would be a good idea to lock us in here, clearly to spite me and Clementine!"

"That's what you get for being a smartass!"

"I don't recall you stepping up and contributing," Alex shoots back, her face turning dark with anger. "All I remember is you sulking in the background like a grouchy teenager."

"Guys!" I say sternly, stepping up and standing between Ellie and Alex. "This isn't helping."

"That stupid bitch is the reason we're stuck in here! We're all going to die because of a stupid kid!" Ellie retorts. Without warning, Alex lunges at Ellie, clearly aiming to hit her, but I block her and hold her back.

"Alex!" I shout, trying to calm her down.

"I'll rip her fucking head off, Clem!"

"Alex, look at me! It's not worth it!"

"If the walkers don't kill her, I will!"

"Alex, please!" I beg. She looks down at me and her facial expression, one of pure rage, immediately softens into one of guilt. "Now is not the time to fight. We need to find a way out of here."

"I know," she whispers quietly. She looks away from me, ashamed. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," I say reassuringly, patting her shoulder. "And Alex?"

"Yeah?"

"Your head," I say.

"We'll sort it later."

"Now."

"What are you, my mother?"

Without a moment of hesitation, I retort, "Okay, now you're grounded."

* * *

 **Alex**

"That's so unfair. I hate you," I playfully whine.

"Dork," Clementine mutters to herself as she rolls her eyes. She thinks she spoke quietly enough so it was out of earshot, but I heard it. I raise my eyebrows to let her know of this and she shakes her head, slightly embarrassed. I'm in half a mind to say "your favourite dork" but I don't get the chance to.

"I found a first aid kit," Daniel announces from a corner of the storeroom. He opens it up and throws the bandages at Clem, who catches them with expert precision. She instructs me to sit on one of the many crates scattered around and I comply, mostly out of fear that she will beat me up if I refuse. She unravels the bandages and then winds them around my head.

"One of these days," I say as she tends to me, "you won't have to keep hauling and healing my ass every few weeks or so."

"Well, it keeps me on my toes," Clementine replies. I emit a small chuckle. She finishes bandaging me and takes a step back to admire her handiwork.

"We need to think about how we're going to get out of here," I say. "Despite what I said earlier, our best bet is through the store."

"There are a lot of walkers inside," Clementine observes.

"But none of them can climb," I return deviously, smirk included. She frowns slightly as she thinks before darting over to the door and peering through its small window. She turns back to me, still on her tip-toes. She's short and it's cute. Really cute.

"The shelves?"

"If we move fast, at least they can't get to us."

Daniel traverses the room to join Clementine. He too looks through the window. He turns to me and pulls a face of concern.

"It's pretty risky," he says.

"Living is risky, pal," I return.

"Fair point. Is there any other way? There has to be."

"Can you think of one?" He doesn't reply and awkwardly scratches his beard instead. I notice him look towards the door Jason chained back up. "Leave that door. If we bang on it and attract walkers, then we're blocked in from both sides." I watch Clementine peer into the store again. I ask her how it's looking.

"Something's attracted their attention out front. There are hardly any near this door. I think we have an opening."

I stand up, pushing my glasses up my nose. "Then we've gotta move. Now." I draw my knife out of the holster I have attached to my belt and the others follow my example. "We get as close to the front as possible before we start climbing. Clementine, you take point. I'll take up the rear. Let's move."

Ellie and I meet Daniel and Clementine at the door. I twist the knob, and I hear it unlock. It's open. I gingerly twist the handle and tug it open. Clementine eases herself out, surveying her surroundings. She judges it to be clear, and Daniel and Ellie follow her. I zip through the door and trail after them. The first thing that hits me as I enter the store is the stench. Dead, decaying flesh that's been festering for the best part of three years. I muster the energy from every fibre of my being to not gag. It doesn't work. I've gotten used to a lot of things since the walkers emerged; their smell isn't one of them.

We reach the end of the first aisle, to which Clementine checks the left, Ellie the right. They both press on, to which Daniel and I assume that it's clear. We follow. Something dives at Daniel from the right and it throws him to the ground, causing him to yell. He grapples with it for a second before I register what it is.

Walker! _SHIT_!

I drive my blade straight into the walker's head, killing it. Daniel heaves the corpse off him, his eyes wide with fright. Clementine and Ellie, who made it half way along the aisle, stop and spin around to see what the commotion was all about. What I see behind them makes me feel physically sick... I point to the walkers behind the girls, who are peeling away from the store doors two aisles down and converging onto us!

"Clem, Ellie, get climbing!" I yell as I drag Daniel to his feet. I give him a hefty shove so he can catch up with the others. I sprint behind, watching as Ellie scrambles up the shelving on the left, Daniel following behind her. Clementine draws her pistol and fires off a few rounds, picking off some of the walkers and buying us some time. A lower shelf gives way beneath Daniel's feet as he climbs, and it crashes down to the ground. Clementine stops firing off rounds and attempts to climb the shelf. She tries to pull herself up, but without a foot hold, she struggles to ascend. I can see she's panicking, as she hasn't noticed the intact shelving behind her. I bolt towards Clementine.

"Clementine!" I shout, catching her attention. "These shelves," I yell with a jerky point, "go!" We hastily climb up the shelves opposite to Daniel and Ellie. I heave myself to the top and roll onto them, panting heavily. I catch my breath and lift myself up. I survey our surroundings. The store floor around the two lots of shelves we're standing on is completely surrounded by walkers. A thick swarm of snarling, grabbing dead things snapping at our feet. Perfect.

"What do we do?" asks a scared Ellie from across the aisle. I count the ammo I was issued. Twenty rounds, only as a last resort.

"We're not shooting our way out, that's for sure," I shout back over the cacophony the walkers are making.

"That's where you're wrong," Clementine pipes up beside me. She cocks her pistol and fires off a bead towards the front doors. It hits the glass and it shatters loudly. I feel my mouth drop open.

"You are a genius Clem. An absolute fuckin' genius," I utter in awe.

"It was your idea, remember?"

"Oh, yeah," I return sheepishly.

"Now what do we do?" Daniel hollers from across the aisle. "Jump?"

"That's the plan Danny-Boy!" I yell back. "If we stick to these shelves, we should be fine!"

"Alex, that's not a good idea, that jump looks pretty f-"

Before Clementine can finish her sentence, Daniel takes a couple of steps back and runs across the top of the shelving. He leaps at the end and crashes into the shelving in the next aisle, bouncing off it and slamming onto the store floor. It knocks the wind out of him, and he struggles to get up. The walkers notice the winded man and rush towards him. I watch in horror as the walkers tear into his stomach, ripping out his intestines and feasting on them, his agonised screams ringing off the store walls. Ellie watches from the edge of her shelf, sobbing. I step over to the edge of my shelving, aim my rifle, and fire a round. Daniel's head snaps back and the screaming stops. Clementine gives me the angriest look I have ever seen.

And it's at this exact moment I realise that this plan was a huge mistake.

* * *

 **And that's it for this update. If you liked if, feel free to drop a review. If you're new to this story and want to know when the next chapter drops, give it a follow or a favourite! If you do, you'll get a free doughnut (only at participating bakeries)! Except there are no bakeries that wish to participate... sorry!  
**

 **Until next time!**

 **Subtle.**


	4. The River

**Okay, we're back with more and it's a longer chapter! These are going to keep getting longer once we move into _Final Season_ territory. On that note, in case you missed it, we have a release date for Episode 3, _Broken Toys_! 15th January and I am _super_ excited! At the moment we're at 6 favourites and 10 follows, which is neat!**

 **Review replies:**

 **Jestalnaker94000: again, thank you for your kind words! And we have learned a little something, but I did have to make a minor tweak in the last chapter. It's really small; basically, the pair learned a little bit about each other over the last few weeks, and Clementine's quizzing was more just to keep Alex conscious more than anything (poor planning on my part, oops... thank goodness for the replace chapter option!). And as for what's about to go down, you're about to find out. Enjoy!**

 **And without further ado, this is the part where I leave and let the chapter begin. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Alex**

We're so screwed. We're trapped with a swarm of walkers snapping below our ankles and one of us is dead. I step away from the edge of the shelf, my back to the front of the store, and I'm greeted with a look of disgust from Clementine, as if this is all my fault. I feel a knot tighten in my throat as I realize that our relationship is potentially irreparable after this. A brief thought flits across my brain: the possibility of hitting the road when we get out of this.

 _If_ , I correct myself.

Ellie is on the set of shelves across the aisle, staring at the spot where Daniel was, unmoving, unspeaking, disbelieving. I shoulder my rifle and rub my eyes beneath my glasses; a sign of stress. I rub my hands down my face and push my glasses up my face and begin rubbing my chin.

"Well?" Clementine spits venomously, the tone of her voice making me sick to my stomach. "What's your next big plan?"

"Fuck off," I mutter.

"Or what? Are you going to make me jump across the aisle or-"

"I said fuck off!" I scream as I step up to her, the two-inch difference in height certainly making a statement now. She takes a step back but doesn't flinch, her face like thunder. "I get it! I fucked up, but you can't act as if you haven't done anything stupid since this all started! You can't say that you haven't been responsible for other people's deaths! I know you haven't! Why is Lee dead, Clementine? Why did he get bitten? Because he went looking for _you_ , because you ran off with that stranger!" I watch her jaw tense slightly, but I'm so mad I don't even consider stopping. "Yeah, my memory's still working, in case that little test in the storeroom didn't convince you! I listened to _everything_ you said when I was recovering. And who else is dead because of you? Your carelessness killed Omid, Clem! And Sarita? In the middle of a herd, what possessed you to cut her hand off?"

"You shut your fucking mouth."

"And what about Kenny?"

I receive an angry yell as a response along with a swift punch to the face, one so hard I bite the inside of my cheek. Blood floods my mouth. She steps back and raises her gun at me. I feel the fire leave my brain. It's replaced by a dark emptiness, futility. She told me her lowest moments and I just used them against her. She trusted me, and I pissed on it. Her face shows how hurt she is, and a single tear runs down her face. I notice her finger is poised on the trigger, ready. I stare down the barrel. I've been in this position so many times and normally this sight consumes me with nausea. Now I feel nothing but acceptance and welcoming. I spit out a sticky spray of blood across the aisle, which the walkers seem to revel in, the snarls getting louder and more frantic.

"Do it," I utter lowly, feeling the warm blood ooze down my chin as I talk. I refrain from pulling a face as the metallic taste plays on my tongue. "I don't care anymore," I continue weakly, "I have nothing. You know I've watched my family die right before my eyes. I've had enough of this shit. You'll be doing me a favor."

Clementine trembles with anger. She struggles to hold her weapon steady, even with both hands. Her face is flushed red with burning rage as more tears begin to spill down her cheeks, dripping off her face and trickling down her neck, soaking into her shirt collar. Likewise, the blood seeping from my mouth is doing the same. I can feel its warmth creeping down my throat and gathering at the base of my neck.

I see her eyes dart to the side of me for a split second, before snapping back to me. She fires.

* * *

 **Clementine**

I... have no words. My past is something that haunts me constantly, all the familiar and friendly (and some not-so-friendly) faces visiting me in my dreams, tormenting my sleep, plaguing my thoughts. It all stays bottled up inside my head and I never breathe a word of it to anyone. Until Alex came along. She stood out compared to everyone else. Her trusting face looked worn by the trying times of this hell the world has become, but also looked fresh, and joyful, equipped with a warm, cheery, good-humored grin. That grin greeted me from across the tent every morning and instantly raised my spirits.

But she pushed me. For years I've fought with myself to control the guilt, to convince myself that it wasn't my fault that all those people died, that I wasn't responsible. For a while, it worked. And in a single rage-induced outburst, all that work was picked apart, its tatters falling from my brain and catching in my throat. My eyes are swimming with tears as I register what I've just done. I collapse to my knees and start to sob as the emotional wounds, freshly healed, split open again. Lee, Omid, Kenny, it's all my fault. She's right.

I look up at her. She's standing there, shocked beyond all belief, unable to process what just happened, that she's alive. I fired to the side of her, the bullet striking another store window. The impact caused the glass to splinter everywhere, the broken pieces littering the store floor and concrete outside. The sunlight filters into the dingy store, lapping at its heels.

I had to fire that gun. I hoped it would make me feel better, but it hasn't.

I hear voices outside. I look up and see a few people, armed, gather near the broken window and cautiously peer inside. They're some of the guys who came with us.

"Hey!" I hear one male voice shout. "They're in here!"

Alex's head snaps behind her to face the shout. The walkers do the same and shuffle away from below us, towards the rest of our group. Gingerly, Alex turns back to face me, offering an outstretched hand to help me up. I don't take it and instead climb to my own two feet, holstering my pistol as I do so. Her arm guiltily shrinks back to her body. More of the walkers saunter away from us, and I hear the occasional pop and rattle of gunfire from out front.

"Guys," Alex says, her voice barely audible, not because of the sound of the walkers, but because she can barely get her words out, "we need to get moving." And with that, she sits over the edge of the shelf, twists, and lowers herself down. Ellie and I follow in silence, dropping to the store floor. I straighten up and draw my knife. Alex presses on, nearing the front of the store entrance, which is clogged with walkers. She omits a sharp, piercing whistle, and the rear wave of walkers sluggishly turn to face us. She grips her knife and lunges towards the first walker with a yell, driving the blade into its head. Another shuffles to me, and I kick its leg out from beneath it and it tumbles to the ground. I pounce and I kill it, my knife sinking into its soft skull. I yank it out and move onto the next walker. And the next. Ellie dispatches walker after walker too, following closely behind Alex.

I peer over to Alex, who is ploughing through the walkers, her front covered in their dark, putrid blood, mingling with her own that is stained into the collar of her shirt. Her eyes dart behind me for a split second, and before I can even turn around, she lunges towards me, and then past me. She tackles a walker to the ground and stabs it. Alex leaps to her feet and places a gentle hand on my shoulder without saying another word.

 _Watch yourself_ , the hand says. Seems like she's still watching me, looking out for me, despite all that just happened. Even though I could have easily killed her. The fact that, for a split second, she probably thought I had. I shrug her off.

She pulls away, hurt, and continues killing walkers, except the next one she kills in an interesting way, a way she's never done before. She sweeps a leg out from beneath it, letting it crash to the ground before stabbing it. I never showed her how to do that, not in the way Jane taught me. That girl is full of surprises. _Yeah, like using all your dirt against you_ , I think.

The three of us step through the store doors and meet the others, having picked through a hefty wave of walkers from both sides. I feel the anger drain from my body, leaving a slight bitterness behind. I feel drained. Alex is breathing deeply beside me, still not saying a word. One of the guys, Otto, a man in his early twenties who was studying at a nearby university for a semester, only to be stranded here instead of in his native Germany, steps up.

"Guys, what happened? I thought you weren't going inside the store?" he says.

"Jason locked us in," I reply angrily.

"He did?" Otto replies, his brow furrowing. "He told us to go on a perimeter sweep. We didn't see him do this."

"Then look at the side door. It's chained shut, from the outside!" I retort, still angry.

"Wait a minute," Ellie speaks up, "where _is_ Jason?"

The group have no idea where the fucking coward has gone.

* * *

 **Clementine**

We return to the camp with eight people instead of the ten we originally departed with, and it's immediately noticed. We all grouped together before the four leaders of the New Frontier and explained what happened and why everything fell to shit. David says they'll send out a search party to find Jason, then he takes one look at Alex and decides it would be best if we didn't go. We are dismissed, and the meeting is over.

I return to my tent, AJ in my arms, to find it's empty. I place AJ on my camp bed and sit beside him. I bury my face in my hands as I reflect on what happened today; I snapped and Alex lashed back, and it was not a reaction I was expecting from someone who is normally so gentle and caring with everyone she's encountered so far. The anger was unlike anything I'd ever seen from her. Pure rage, pure frustration, pure venom. And I can't get it out of my head. I sigh deeply but it comes out as a choked sob instead. Everything she said... is she right? Is it all my fault?

I take more time to recall the shitstorm today turned out to be: Alex nearly split her head open, we were trapped in a walker-packed store, Daniel died, Alex pushed me, I pointed a gun to her, and despite that, Alex still looked out for me. The last point stands out to me more than the others. People dying is, sadly, a huge part of how things are now. And I'm used to people blaming me for it too. Christa... I could tell she blamed me for Omid's death. I could see it in the way she looked at me, the slight hint of disgust in her face. I could hear in the way she said my name, and how it played across her tongue as if she was drinking something vile. Her bitterness faded over time, but I could still see it, like how a wound heals but the scar still remains.

I look around and suddenly realize Alex's stuff is gone. The book she normally keeps on the broken table isn't here. A thick, dog-eared paperback novel with yellowing pages and a worn spine, she read a bit of it every night before bed. Sometimes I'd come in late and find she was reading it to AJ, who took great delight in hearing all the different voices and accents Alex would make as she read. I had no idea what the book was about, but Alex briefly explained it was British Victorian literature, with way too many characters enclosed within. Some nights I would listen along with AJ, to her stupid voices and crappy accents, but it was her native accent, a standard American accent with a slight Tennessee twang that made its appearance in short, sudden bursts, was something I could have happily listened to all night. It came out more whenever she spoke to anyone from the south, which was entertaining. I would pick her up on it and she would deny it. But the angrier she got the more it would come through. These silly little arguments would make me laugh so hard I would cry.

She can't have gone far. Maybe there's still time. I exit the tent and spend the next five minutes frantically asking people whether they've seen Alex, while trying to ignore AJ poking my face, only to be told they haven't seen her since we got back. Finally resigning, I return to the tent and crash onto my camp bed, bouncing AJ on my knee. He's lost interest in my face and wants to crawl around on the camp bed instead, so I let him.

Earlier was so shit. What we both did wasn't fair to each other, but it's not worth losing each other over this. As the realization of Alex's departure sets in, I feel a hole open up in my chest. I feel hurt again, betrayed, abandoned. I feel my heart sink as the thought that she's gone becomes very real. That dumb smile, pale face with the slightly sunburned cheeks, the glasses with the grimy lenses, the crappy jokes, light-hearted banter, the hair flicks, the spectacle-repositioning... gone. My partner-in-crime, gone.

My thoughts are interrupted as I hear the sound of rustling paper and chewing beside me. My head snaps up to look. AJ is sat there, happily chewing on a piece of paper. Where did that come from?

"AJ, let go," I say as I wrestle it out of his mouth, the little shit clamping his teeth down harder on it. I finally pry it from him and he giggles slightly. I unfold the slightly saliva-covered piece of paper and read Alex's small, scrappy handwriting, ignoring the teeth marks on the page.

 _Clementine,_

 _Where do I even begin with this? I'm an ass.  
You opened up to me and I used it against you.  
I let you down and I hurt you.  
No matter how many times I say this, it won't express how bad I feel, but...  
I'm so, so, fucking sorry.  
You don't have to believe it.  
You don't even have to forgive me.  
But in the unlikely event that you do, I'll be at the nearby stream if you want to come and find me.  
We need to talk.  
Or you can shout at me, I totally deserve it._

 _Alex._

I read the note again. And then a third time. Without a moment's hesitation, I scoop AJ up and get moving.

* * *

 **Alex**

Today... what a mess. A man is dead because of me of my stupid idea. To top it all off, I've hurt someone I care about dearly. I'm sitting at the bank of a small stream, watching the water trickle by. The trees nearby are bare, their leaves littering the ground I'm sat on. Thankfully, it's a dry day so I'm not perched upon soaked ground. It is, however, pretty cold, and I feel the winter chill tickling against the back of my neck. My head is starting to hurt, and its throbbing is sending hot waves of pain across the right side of my skull. I massage my right temple with my hand in the hope that it will provide some relief. It doesn't.

I let out a weighty sigh, made visible by the cold. I watch the wispy vapor seep into the air before vanishing. I pick up the novel that I've been trying to read for the last half hour, the headache making it impossible to concentrate. I flick through its pages, noting how thick this book is. I land on the final page and look at its number: 897. As if I'm going to finish this book before die.

"Hey", says a voice behind me. Clementine. An excited infantile squeal follows. AJ. I can't summon to courage to speak up, let alone look at her. I hear her sit beside me, to my right. I still don't look, instead I'm fiddling with the ring around my neck. We sit in silence, with the exception of AJ making the odd sound here and there as he fidgets in Clementine's lap. At least, I think he is, my peripheral vision can only see so much. Clementine makes no effort to silence him, letting him do his own thing instead.

"How's your head?" she finally asks. I clear my throat before answering.

"It hurts," I mumble, still looking straight ahead.

"No surprise there, it looked like quite a nasty fall." I don't answer. I don't know what to say. 'Sorry' won't cut it. "What happened with Daniel..." she continues, "... that wasn't your fault. I shouldn't have made out as if it was." She pauses for a moment. "We always think that we're doing what's best at the time, but sometimes it doesn't go to plan. I know that better than anyone. I'm sorry." As if beyond my control, my head lifts up to look at her. Her sweet face with a soft smile and sad eyes. AJ looks at me with a cute, smiling expression and outstretches his tiny arms towards me.

"You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for Clem," I say. And I really mean it. I have no hard feelings towards her.

"But-"

"Ah-ah!" I interrupt along with an outstretched index finger. I raise my eyebrows and feel a small smile play on my lips. Clementine cocks her head at an angle as if to say _Really?_ before rolling her eyes and shaking her head. "Hear me out. You trusted me with a lot of personal stuff over the last few weeks, and in a matter of twenty seconds, I used it all against you. It was uncalled for, it was vicious, and I am so, so sorry. It takes a lot to make me lose my cool, but when I do, I completely lose my shit. It's... dangerous... it-"

"What happened in there," she interjected, "it was rough. We didn't have many options. Your call was the best one, and I'm sorry for acting as if it wasn't. It got heated, emotions ran high. What I'm trying to say is... I forgive you," she says sweetly, the sadness in her eyes fading away. "Besides, I shouldn't have pointed that gun at you. I was mad, and I didn't know what I was thinking."

"I deserved it."

"You deserved the punch, nothing else."

"It was a good punch."

"Thanks."

We sit in silence again, listening to the breeze, the birds singing. My cheek also kills, and I probe the ragged flesh with my tongue, inspecting it. A slight metallic hint still lingers. AJ keeps pointing to me and looking at Clementine.

"I think he wants to be with you," Clementine offers softly.

"Are... are you sure?" I ask. I'm still not that comfortable with babies. "What if I accidentally let go of him? He might roll into the stream and get whisked away, never to be seen again..." I express my concern, deliberately over-the-top and exaggerated to get a laugh or two out of Clementine.

"It'll be fine," she affirms, lifting AJ over to me as she laughs. My heart... "He loves being with you." I take the toddler and place him in my lap, which he seems to take great delight in.

"Hey there, buddy," I say softly as AJ grabs the tip of my nose. "O-okay then... give me back my nose, you little shitbird. It's mine, not yours. You have your own nose! See?" I gently pinch the tip of his nose with a thumb and forefinger, which AJ seems to think is the funniest thing in the world. Clementine laughs her amazing laugh, and I feel myself turning into a puddle of goo. Dammit, I can feel my face burning up too. She's literally perfect and I don't know what to do with myself. I nervously bounce AJ on my knee and give him a little tickle. He squeals with delight and I burst into laughter. He's such a cute little kid, it's just a shame that he's not talking. He seems like he'd be a cute, chatty little dude. I look over at her, with a smile that ask _Am I doing this right?_ to which she nods.

"See, you're a natural."

"Beginner's luck, Clem, beginner's luck. I could still drop him."

"For your own safety, I strongly recommend that you don't." We laugh again, and I feel my face start to hurt. Not just from the excessive smiling, but because the inside of my cheek has been ripped to shreds and is causing me a lot of discomfort.

She shuffles a little closer to me, to the point where our shoulders are touching. I feel my mouth dry out with fear, with excitement. My heart is thumping so loud in my chest, I fear she will be able to hear it. I somewhat hope she will. It could be my confession. _Why's your heart beating so loud, Alex? It's because I like you, Clem._ Should I say something? I may not get another chance, and there's no time like the present. Yeah, nice one Alex, spend the rest of your short, miserable life humiliated, that's a smart move too. _Moron_. The words are there, playing on the tip of my tongue, screaming to be spoken.

"Clementine..." I utter weakly, the use of her full name getting her complete attention.

"Yeah?"

"I..."

"What?"

"I..."

 _Come on!_

"You...?"

"I... think we should head back." I hear myself finally say, defeated. _Fffffffffuck_.

* * *

 **Clementine**

 **A month later...**

I'm crouched beside an unconscious Lingard and a very, very sick AJ, holding a syringe in my hand. It's night and it's cold, with an even more bitter chill threatening to close in as the night progresses.

"Shit," I whisper to myself, watching the rest of the New Frontier gathering by the main campfire. Of course the medicine would have to be a shot. This is going to hurt AJ and he'll probably cry as soon as I inject him. I'll get caught instantly. Alex is back at our tent, most likely reading her book. I haven't told her what I'm doing because I know she would disagree with it. Instead, I told her I was going for a little walk with AJ.

When AJ first got ill, I took him straight to Lingard, and before long, the fuckers just gave up on him, saying there was nothing they could do. Alex did little to console me, saying that we would figure it out, but to defy New Frontier would be stupid. I suggested stealing from their supplies, insisting that they wouldn't notice, to which she asked if I was, quote, "fuckin' stupid". Not stupid, just doing what any mom would.

She pleaded with me not to do it, so I said I wouldn't. I was going to do it either way, but I wasn't going to tell her. And here I am.

"Hang in there, Goofball," I whisper to AJ, whose little face looks pained and miserable. He's clearly suffering. "This is gonna get you better." I insert the syringe into the little vial of medicine, the name of which Alex doesn't even know I came into possession of. The perks of being near what used to be a med school, I guess. I measure out the correct dosage and remove the syringe, listening all the while. I give it a little squeeze to make sure everything's working properly, yet I hear a shuffling from the camp bed beside me. I feel my jaw drop slightly as Lingard comes to. _Shit_.

"Clem," he says as he sits up slightly. He clearly doesn't have it together. I reckon he barely knows where he is.

"Doctor Lingard? What's the matter with you?"

"I'm... I'm fine..." he says, but he certainly doesn't look it. Heavy, red-tinted bags have formed around his eyes and his speech is slightly slurred. He sits up a little more and spots the syringe in my hand. _Shit_. "Clem, please don't," he pleads. "The vancomycin, that's the last of it. It'll be wasted on AJ. I told you, it could save someone's life if used right. It's too valuable to throw away."

"It's the only thing that can save him," I try to reason.

"Except it can't," he says with a sad shake of his head. I scowl at him. "I'm sorry, Clem. I tried everything. I... I really did." His speech is sounded more slurred now.

"This _will_ help him," I insist. "It better."

"Nothing can help your boy now." Lingard stops and sighs. "Oh Clem, put the drugs back, before anyone finds out you took 'em." I look across at the anguished face of AJ, screwed up into a permanently solemn expression. He needs this, more than anything. "You know what they do to thieves here. There's still time."

"I have to try." I'm doing this. I grab hold of AJ's arm, and he recoils, trying to wriggle out of my grip. He lets out a small sound of fear, of uncertainty.

A male voice rings out from nearby; "What the hell was that?"

"Come on Goofball," I say reassuringly, "I need you to be brave for me now, okay?" He stops wriggling, but still looks at me as if to say _Please don't do this to me_. I shush him before saying, "See, it's not so bad." I stick the needle into AJ's arm, and he instantly jolts with the pain and starts crying.

"AJ!" I whisper frantically. "Shh!" _Shit, shit, shit!_

"What the hell is this?" David's voice demands from behind me. I grab AJ, who is still crying, and try to make a run for it, only to be blocked off by Ava.

"I told her it was a bad idea," Lingard slurs at David. More people more away from the campfire and watch me, their faces furrowing with anger, disbelief., betrayal.

David looks over at the pitiful Lingard. "You fucking high again?" He walks over to the doctor and grabs him up by the arm, pulling him roughly to his feet. "Pull yourself together before the others see you. Deal with the damn kid." David turns to me, cradling a bawling AJ. I notice that small flecks of snow are starting to fall, and I can feel the air getting colder. It could be the weather, it could be fear, I'm not sure. "What the fuck were you thinking?" he yells angrily. "You were told those drugs couldn't help him. How could you be so stupid? So selfish?"

"You stopped trying to help!" I shoot at him. "I couldn't just sit here and watch AJ die!"

"We stopped because he was a lost cause! That waste? That'll cost someone's life down the road. Someone in this camp! Someone who contributes to our survival!" David continues, waving an angry finger at me.

"C'mon David, she was just trying to help her kid," Ava reasons.

"We helped enough!" David yells back. "We should have left him in the woods a week ago!"

"But look! It's helping!" I plead pathetically. Anything to make the situation better.

"It doesn't work that way, Clem," Lingard says patronizingly. "You bought him a peaceful moment, nothing more."

"Get your fucking hands off of me!" yells a voice from nearby. I peer behind David, and everyone looks to the source of the shout. A guy has grabbed Alex by the collar of her jacket and is aggressively dragging her towards us. She swings an uncoordinated fist towards him, but she can't quite connect the blow, so she thrashes around instead. They reach where we are, and with a violent shove, he launches Alex into the dirt beside my feet. She mutters something along the lines of "fucking asshole", but I'm not sure.

"Alex!" David yells at my friend, who is still on her hands and knees on the ground. "Tell me you didn't know about this! Tell me that this had nothing to do with you!" She slowly stands and turns towards the man, her face like thunder: fearless, defiant, terrifying.

"We planned this, together," she says flatly, a lie, covering for me. "It was all my idea. You all gave up on AJ, a small, defenceless boy! And for that, fuck all of you!"

"We opened our arms to both of you; made you one of us!" David continues, getting angrier and angrier. "This is how you repay us? By stealing?! By putting yourself before the group?" He scowls at both of us and shakes his head disapprovingly. "You're done here. Both of you. You two broke our rules!"

I've had enough and decide I should take Alex's example. "You know what? Alex is right; fuck you," I spit. "And fuck the New Frontier!"

"You already did!" David continues, getting angrier. "That's why you have to go."

I look across at Alex, her challenging expression evaporating into one that says _Why didn't you listen to me?_ It hurts.

"Maybe we should give them another chance?" Lingard offers.

"Don't fight me on this, Paul. You know what Joan would say if she were here. I'm sorry girls, but you brought this on yourself."

Screw this. "Alex, we're leaving," I say lowly. "Come on AJ, we don't need this place anyway." I take hold of Alex's arm and turn away from them, preparing to leave.

"Uh-uh," David says behind us, "he stays." At the same moment, Ava and another guy block us from leaving.

"Get out of my fucking way," I threaten. " _Right now._ "

"Clem," Lingard says, "he's in no condition to travel."

"Let him go, Clem," Ava backs him up. "He'll only drag you down out there."

Without another the word, they close in on us, pushing us closer to David.

"Back the fuck up!" Alex yells, pushing against the guy. But it's like flicking paperclips against a tank; ineffective. I feel them closing in, tighter, tighter, until I feel a vice-like grip on my shoulder. Ava lunges for AJ and I'm unable to leap for him. She wrestles him out of my grip, which is followed by Alex's scream of "Fucking bitch!" A blow follows, but I don't see who lashed out or who got hit until after I'm thrown to one side.

"No! You monsters!" I scream angrily. I stand my ground, preparing to lash out of them, but one look at the pitiful Alex, makes me think better of it. She's back in the dirt again, with a string of bloody drool seeping out of her mouth. As she staggers to her feet, she wipes her mouth with the back of her hand, leaving a crimson smear against the pale skin of the back of her right hand and her cheek. "What about this?" I plead, feeling my eyes fill up with hot tears. I lift my shirt sleeve to show the brand on my arm. "What was it all for? Don't forget, we're part of this group!" I choke, feeling the urge to cry seep into my voice, making it sound weak and pathetic.

"Not anymore," David says flatly. So, this is it. I screwed up and I should have listened to Alex. I'm the reason we're in this mess. I'm the reason we're being cast out of our home. But they have no right to take AJ away from me! From us! How dare they!

"Let them say goodbye," Ava suggests to David. "We owe them that much at least." My vision is swimming now, a messy blur of different colours and shapes.

"Fine. You heard her," David says.

"Go on, Clem," Alex says beside me with a flat voice. I feel her hand on my back as she nudges me forward.

David says, "Say what you need to say, and then go. Please don't make me regret this."

I step forward to AJ, who is in Lingard's arms now. He lifts his tiny hand out to me and I take it.

"I love you, Goofball," I utter, trying hard to stop my voice from cracking. Lingard lowers AJ to my level and I place a small kiss on his head. I feel more tears coming on as I sob, "I love you."

"Come on, Clem," David's voice rings behind me. He places a hand on my shoulder and he pulls me away from AJ. He does the same with his free hand for Alex. I wipe the tears from my eyes as we walk. A tiny infant voice rings out behind me and something inside of me dies.

"Cleeeem!"

* * *

 **Alex**

Here we are, driving. Just the two of us. The car is deathly silent without AJ. I haven't spoken a word since we got booted out of New Frontier. Clementine has stopped crying now but sits in the passenger seat beside me in a numbed silence. We're both hurting because of AJ and I should be fuming because Clementine didn't listen to me, but I don't feel the anger stirring up inside of me. I feel the sharp pangs of grief settling in my chest. Although relatively unsafe, I drive with my glasses propped up on my head, because my hot tears keep fogging up the lenses. I guess it doesn't matter. Everything is unsafe now. I focus on the road the best I can, resting my hand on the stick shift as I do; a habit of my brother's. Mom hated it so much. Every time he did it when she was in the car, she basically threw a shitfit. Both hands _had_ to be on the wheel.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" Clementine speaks up, interrupting my thoughts and startling me.

"What d'ya mean?"

"I fucked up and you haven't said a word since. You should have at least shouted at me or something."

"What would that have achieved, Clementine?" I ask her. She says nothing, so I continue. "Yes, you should have listened to me, but you had what's best for AJ in mind and I can't fault you for that. Right now, we're both hurting, and me shouting at you isn't going to change anything or make it better. All we've got is each other and we need to stay strong now." I feel a cold hand rest on mine that's resting on the stick shift.

"Thanks for being there for me, Alex."

"I'm always here for you. Don't you forget it."

We drive for a little longer, still in silence, before deciding to set up camp for the night. We get a fire going and we sit beside it. It's almost like the night we met. Almost. And, just like that night, it's fucking freezing. Clementine shivers and suffers in silence beside me. She's got her jacket that she normally leaves tied around her waist on and she's still struggling.

"Come here, Clem," I offer, gesturing with my hand for her to scoot over to me. "You're freezing."

She looks at me, at first to say _Are you crazy?_ but I can tell that she feels the biting cold and thinks again. And I don't believe my luck. She _actually_ moves over to me. And I haven't got a clue on how to position myself. So I leave my arm suspended in the air like a dork as she snuggles into me, her arms wrapping around my middle, her head resting on my shoulder. I feel my heart start to thud in my chest, threatening to burst out. And... _she's going to hear it! No!_

"See?" she says cockily, "This isn't so bad, is it? I don't get why you were so reluctant last time. Maybe you wouldn't have nearly died."

I shake my head and say nothing, feeling a goofy grin plaster my face. "We'll sort this out, Clem. We'll get AJ back, but first, we'll need to get to this community and find our feet. It'll be okay, I promise."

Clem doesn't respond, and I hear her gentle snoring. I mentally thank Ava for the supplies and the directions to Prescott. Hopefully everything will work itself out. I listen to the nearby river churning as I take watch. It's only a few feet away and the sound is almost deafening at first, but then it gradually becomes white noise. It's relaxing and therapeutic, and it's not something I experience often. Maybe tonight won't be so bad.

* * *

 **Clementine**

Alex wakes me up.

"Whuh?" I murmur sleepily, only for Alex to put a finger to my lips, silencing me.

"Don't. Make. A sound."

The urgency in her voice makes my eyes snap open. I sit up slightly and watch about five walkers shamble along the road we were camped next to. I notice the campfire is out, the nearby ground flooded with water, an empty water bottle discarded beside it. Given how wet the ground is this time of year, there was no way Alex could kick dirt onto it instead. The walkers move by, painfully, slowly, their snarls ringing out into the night air. We both watch, not even daring to breathe, trying to stay as low as possible. In a single, fluid, silent motion, Alex premptively draws her knife and I follow her lead.

Alex shuffles on her feet, readjusting her position.

 _Snap_.

I watch as her eyes widen as she realizes she accidentally stood on a stick. She mouths "fuck" as we watch the walkers turn their heads to face us. She springs to her feet, ready to take them on.

"Let's go!" she yells and strides up to the group of walkers. I follow and pounce on the first, Alex simultaneously taking out another. The following three are bunched up really close together. If either one of us attacks, the other two will easily get us. We need to split them up. I look at Alex and before I can even open my mouth, as if she can read my mind, she says, "Split them up."

The clump of walkers converge onto Alex, who is slowly backing up. I run up behind the group and start shouting and hurling insults, anything to get their attention. None of them react to me, closing in on Alex. Even from behind and using the element of surprise, if I attack one, I'll still be too close to the others. I feel helpless. There is nothing I can do that isn't risky. I try getting closer, but they still ignore my distractions, focusing on Alex instead. She continues to back up, holding her knife steady.

"Clem!" she shouts over them. "If you're gonna do something, do it now!"

"They're not reacting to me!" I yell back, watching her helplessly. And then I see it. The river... and its current looks unbelievably strong. Believe me, I know, I got swept up in one like this a couple of years ago. I barely survived. "Alex! Watch your-"

Alex stops at the edge of the river, cornered. I can't help but watch as the three walkers lunge at Alex, the mass of human and walker tumbling into the river and getting swept away by the current faster than I can even blink. I run to the edge as they fall, hoping I can do something to prevent this. It's hopeless.

They got her. They fucking got her. She's gone. Alex is gone. AJ is gone. I'm alone. I lose everyone I love and watch everyone I care about die. My life is trapped in this endless cycle and I don't know what to do anymore. I fall to my knees and start sobbing, my tears racing down my face and splattering onto the ground beneath me, my cries echoing into the night sky. The fresh wound of grief is torn open even more and I continue crying uncontrollably.

In a single night, I have lost everything I loved and cherished dearly. I crawl back to the extinguished fire and sit there, numbed, for hours. Finally, I search through my bag and produce a small photograph of myself, Alex, and AJ on the night Alex was branded, taken with the instant camera that was once her brother's. We're smiling, and you can see Alex's bandages as she's rolled her sleeve up to her shoulder. Her smile isn't at all pained, as you would expect from the ordeal she endured, but genuinely happy. AJ is sat on my lap, not sure what's going on, looking up at me for reassurance, pointing at Alex.

I find myself break into a grin while tears simultaneously flow down my face again. I realize that Alex is gone, and that I'll never see that dumb smile again, nor the pale face with the slightly sunburned cheeks, the glasses with the grimy lenses, or hear the crappy jokes, or endure the light-hearted banter, or watch the hair flicks, the spectacle-repositioning... it's all gone. My partner-in-crime, gone. This time, for good.

Something tells me to turn the photo over, and I can't explain it. I find writing on it, which I never noticed was there before. I read the familiar, scrappy handwriting on the back. It says:

 _To Clementine, my savior, my lifeline.  
You saved my ass and I can't thank you enough.  
You're the best and you make being alive great.  
-Alex_

I break down crying, helpless, alone, defeated.

* * *

 **Alrighty, that's it for this time. Next time we're finally at the point of _The Final Season_. I'm super excited to start working on that! If you liked this, drop a review to let me know what you think. If you're new here and want to follow this journey, stick it on your alerts list!**

 **Until next time!**

 **Subtle.**


	5. Reunion

**Okay, it's been a little while, and we're back with a new instalment! First of all, can I just say that Broken Toys knocked my socks off and broke my heart. Was seriously worth the wait and I cannot wait until Take Us Back! In the meantime, I can keep working on this until the launch, and then once the episode's released and I can decide on an ending, I can wrap this up too.**

 **To date, we're at 13 favorites and 16 follows, the latter stat making this my most followed story I've submitted... wow. Thanks to everyone who has joined this journey so far. All aboard the SS Alextine? Yes, that's becoming a thing. We are making Alextine a thing!**

 **Now for review replies, these have been seriously awesome to receive and read, thank you to the following:**

 **Jestalnaker94000: Interesting, you wouldn't have forgiven Alex? Was what she said _really_ that bad? Unforgiveable? Oopsie, aha! As for their reaction, you will soon find out, enjoy!**

 **SilverWolfGirl5: Thank you very much, and here's more!**

 **windyrat: welp, I'm not stopping with this in the meantime, we've got a long way to go with this story. At the moment I've planned this right to the end of episode 3, with a lot more additional content in that 2-week time skip in episode 2. Watch this space!**

 **Secret life of writing: Thank you, thank you, and thank you for your kind words! I dig both Clouis and Violetine, thought my original playthrough was a Violetine one (which has also broken my heart in light of the events of Broken Toys. Thanks, StillNotBitten team...). Are Alex and Clem really that cute though? I wasn't sure how people would respond to it, especially since I've got some very well-written ships to compete with. I guess I'm doing something right... yay!**

 **And without further ado, here's the chapter!**

* * *

 **Clementine**

I can't stop crying. _Everything_ has been ripped from me in the same night... I just don't have the energy to keep fighting. AJ was cruelly torn from me, and so was the last person who was helping me stand on my feet, the one who was going to guide and motivate me throughout all of this. Every single person I get attached to, every person I care about, every person I love and cherish dearly, I lose. Always. My parents. Lee. Kenny. Jane. AJ. Alex. The list just keeps growing and growing. What's the point in getting close to anyone if they're just going to die?

No... I have to press on, I have to find AJ again. I can't let Alex's sacrifice be in vain. If Alex were here, she would tell me, with a comforting grin, _Go find your Goofball, Shorty_.

"I will, Alex," I whisper into the night air, "I will."

I wipe the tears from my face and pull myself to my feet. I grab my bag and sling it over my shoulders, but then I see something else that makes me stop. Alex's backpack. I open it up and see what's inside: her brother's camera, a bottle of water, a several-years-out-of-date energy bar, and her book. I fish the last item out with both hands, and note her place in the book, marked with a thin twig. I flick through the pages and see that she was only a couple hundred pages from finishing. I skim through the page she saved, and I recognise it from the night before, where she was reading it to AJ in her silly voices. I have never seen him laugh so hard before. Or Alex, for that matter. She was cracking up so bad over AJ's squealing that she struggled to continue reading. We were all laughing together. It felt like we were a family.

And now it's just me. I zip up Alex's backpack and swing it onto my shoulder. It's time to move.

* * *

 **A few years later...**

Louis watched the girl as she read. She was sat on one of the picnic benches set up in the front courtyard of the school, carefully scanning through each page before switching to the next. From the steps leading up to the centrally-placed admin building, Louis had a wide view of the courtyard. On the same bench as the girl, Tenn was seated, drawing as usual. Another young boy, Willy, was on lookout duty from atop a makeshift wooden tower near the large, metal gates that lead into the school. A tower of old furniture blocked those gates from the inside, leaving the only way in or out through the smaller side gate beside it. It was getting dark, and a slight autumnal chill was beginning to creep in.

A voice piped up from behind Louis that made him jump out of his skin.

"Still watching her?" Violet asked as she sat beside him on the step. It took a few seconds before Louis could muster his answer.

"I miss her."

Violet's face melted into an expression of pity as Louis' statement gut-punched her. Everything that went down between the pair six months ago was painful and messy, and it still affected him now. Violet found that she couldn't find any words of comfort for him, so she stayed silent.

"Although," he continued with a small, sad smirk, "she's just over there. How can you miss someone who is literally over there?" He emitted a small chuckle which promptly drifted off. Humor: his sole coping mechanism. It wasn't working that well this time, not when it came to _her_.

"Do you still... love her?" Violet enquired, cocking her head at her friend. She watched as Louis' face creased up with confliction, as he searched his feelings, something he had been trying to ignore as much as possible for the last six months. Yet here they were, threatening to bubble to the surface. Although he would never admit it, in private, he still cried over her. There were good days, where he could carry on like his usual chirpy self, and there were bad days, the ones where he spent all day shut up in the music room with the piano, channelling his crushed spirits into the ivories. It was a slow, painful recovery. As he continued to think, Violet spotted that, for a split second, his eyes glazed over. "You do, don't you?"

He nodded his head sadly.

"Sometimes, when I first wake up, I have a moment of peace before I remember that we're not together." He chewed at a thumbnail as his mind drifted off into a string of stray thoughts: _What's wrong with me? What did I do wrong? Why do I suck so much?_

"I get that with Minnie too." Violet sighed softly before looking straight ahead, at the trees beyond the gates. The pair sat in silence, alone with their thoughts, but alone together. The breeze picked up, blowing Violet's short blonde hair across her face. "Shit," she muttered as she wrestled the hair out of her face. Louis chuckled beside her, and promptly received a sock in the arm.

"So," he asked faux-cheerily as he rubbed the spot where Violet had punched him, "what's happening tomorrow?"

"Hunting trip, I think," she replied. "Brody, Aasim, Mitch."

"And Alex?"

"Her too."

" _Fuck_." He hated it when she went outside the walls. The only time he could relax whenever she was hunting, fishing, or scavenging, was if he went with her. And this time, he wasn't. Louis hoped they all would, _especially_ her, make it back safely, but whenever he was left behind, he could never relax. He always felt useless, his anxiety increasing with each minute that passed. Anything could be happening to the group who headed outside and there was not a thing he could do about it. He shook his head angrily. "I've asked Marlon to not send her out without me," he muttered through gritted teeth, livid.

"We need you to stay here, Louis," Violet explained. "Don't ask him to send you out too, or we'll be short of people here. We need you and your... chair leg," she said reluctantly, not giving him the satisfaction of referring to it by its stupid nickname.

"Chairles, Vi, _Chairles_ ," he insisted with a goofy grin. "Respect Chairles and he'll respect you."

"I'll respect you with Chairles if you're not careful," she threatened playfully.

"What... what does that even mean?"

"Shut up, it made sense in my head."

* * *

 **Clementine**

 **The Following Day.**

The road. We've been on it for a while. It's beginning to feel like too long, constantly moving, constantly watching our backs. We're running short on food too, and our recent searches have been turning out dry.

Despite everything that is falling apart right now, I enjoy the pleasant breeze blowing on my face from the open window of the car but hearing a repetitive mechanical spinning sound from the back seat is starting to annoy me. _Spin_. _Clack_. _Spin_. _Clack_. _Spin_. _Clack_. I decide to readjust the rear-view mirror to see what's going on, something I should I have done before driving off. It was something I always forgot to do, and it was always something Alex had a go at me for.

Oh, Alex. I miss her so, so much. I can't even fall sleep without thinking back to that night. The snarling, the water, the tears.

I pull the mirror down, and I see AJ sat in the back seat, playing with his revolver.

"Whatcha doin' there, Goofball?" I call out to him. After a few more spins, he finally answers me.

"Pretending we got bullets."

"Well don't," I reply sternly. "It's getting on my nerves." The spinning finally stops. After a brief moment, he speaks up again.

"I don't like Goofball."

"Would you prefer Shitbird?" I ask, feeling a grin grow on my face.

"No!" AJ says with a laugh. "That's mean!"

"Alex used to call you a Shitbird," I continue, thinking back to the time near the river, when AJ latched onto her nose, "so it must be true!"

"I... I don't remember Alex," AJ drifts off. "I know you talk about her a lot, and I've seen the photos, but I don't remember her." I feel my grin sink into nothing as my heart drops into my stomach.

"Alex..." I begin, my voice trembling slightly as it catches in my throat, "was amazing. She was sweet, reliable. She liked reading, and she could never keep her glasses clean, no matter how hard she tried. She was a little bit taller than me, and she never let me forget it. She used to call me Shorty, all the time, and it drove me mad. I'd hate to see how many bruises she got because I kept punching her."

"Because she made you angry?"

"It was... playful. At least for the most part. I got really angry at her once and I punched her in the face."

"Why?"

"Things got... heated. Neither of us were thinking straight. She said things she didn't mean, and I got so mad I hit her."

 _And pointed a gun at her_ , I think to myself, but I think it's best if I keep that quiet.

"What did she say?" AJ asks curiously.

"I cared about her a lot," I continue, ignoring his question, "and she cared about us a lot too. She always knew how to make me laugh, no matter how upset or angry I was. She was my best friend. We had our ups and downs, but we always worked them out, because life is too short to stay angry at the people you care about." I peer into the mirror and see AJ fixated on every word I'm saying. "You would have really liked her."

"How do you know that?"

"Because you absolutely adored her when you were little. She used to make you laugh so hard you would start squealing!"

AJ chuckles. I feel a small, sad smile creep on my face. I try to pretend that she's sat in the passenger seat beside me, watching and approving everything I do. It makes me a feel a little better. A quick glance over to the seat and instead of Alex, I see the bag she left behind, which, despite all odds, I have kept intact and with me the entire time, with all of her stuff in it. It's all I have left of her. I finished her book before she did. As soon as I got AJ back, I began reading it to him, trying to mimic the silly voices and various accents Alex used to pull off. But it was never the same, despite the laughter from AJ.

God, I miss her.

* * *

 **Alex**

I hook the knife pouch to my belt as I prepare to go on this hunting trip with the others, and I'm confident that things will go smoothly. They always do on my watch. I grab the knife I had left on the picnic bench and examine it. Not a kitchen knife, a proper military-grade one that I found with my brother years back. And it's still nice and sharp, ready to go. I grab the handgun from the bench too and slot it between my jeans and my belt, which I have to loosen a little to ensure it fits.

The Ericson crew don't like guns. I found the weapon when I was on my own, after Clementine, and, after a lot of convincing, they let me keep it when they took me in. Where they've been left on their own for so long, they never used guns at all. They haven't experienced this life the way I have, but for now, I'm grateful for the shelter, grateful for a place I can call home and have done so for the last few years. I take the hair tie off from my wrist and fasten my beyond-shoulder-length hair into a messy bun that sits on the back of my neck. Scissors just don't seem to exist anymore, as if they've suddenly vanished out of this realm.

Clementine used to be adamant about keeping my hair short. If she saw me now, she'd probably have a fit. I hope she's still alive. Even with additional concentration on my memory recall, I find I'm slowly forgetting the sound of her sweet, soothing voice. It has been a long time, and sometimes it feels as if it were all a dream. I have no physical reminders of her or AJ. Maybe I just made it all up to cope with the death of my brother? I don't know.

I retrieve my bandanna from my back pocket and fasten it around my neck, loose enough so I can pull it over my face if necessary. Even after all this time, I still cannot stomach the smell of the walkers. I found that the bandanna provides some relief from the rotting smell. There was one incident where, on a hunt, we encountered a walker. I killed it and the smell hit me like a hot wave. It was so putrid, I threw up. Unfortunately, Louis took the brunt of the vomit. Yet despite that, he still liked me. If someone puked on me, they would receive a swift kick to the head.

I mentally shake those thoughts out of my brain. Things... really didn't end well and I'd much rather leave things in the past.

I have a quick look through my backpack, which had a few emergency medical supplies in case someone gets hurt. I zip it up and swing it over my shoulder, but the bag hits something behind me. It emits a surprised squeak and I spin around.

"Louis! What are you-"

"At least listen to what I'm going to say _before_ you hit me," he says with a smirk.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were behind me," I apologise awkwardly.

"It's fine," he says quietly, his smile evaporating quickly. It grows quiet between us, our voices replaced by the birds chirping nearby.

"So..." I start tentatively, "what can I do for you?" Louis glances at the ground, then up at me, then back to the ground. He nervously scratches his neck, the lines on his forehead creasing in thought. I notice his eyes darting around, a quality I haven't seen in him since we first met; nervousness. He flashes an awkward grin with an anxious chuckle. I fold my arms skeptically. " _Louis_ ," I say irritably, "spit it out."

"I just... wanted to tell you to be careful out there."

My breath catches in my throat. That was not what I was expecting to hear. Recently, we had only been able to maintain awkward small talk at best. I clasp at the ring around my neck and run my fingers along it, thinking of what to say next. I look up at him with an appreciative smile on my face.

"Thank you, Lou. I will be."

"You know I can't stand it when you're out there and I'm he-"

"I know," I interrupt, raising my hands to stop him. It doesn't take much for him to wind himself up when it comes to this. "I hate it when you're out there too. I hate it when anyone is out there without me, but I've gotta go. I mean, I take it you actually want to eat tonight?"

He laughs warmly, with less of the nervous energy surrounding it. "Just as long as you don't hunt cantaloupe, I'm all in for it."

"Ooh, I don't know, that might be a little tricky," I say as I grin from ear-to-ear, struggling to keep the laughter out of my voice. "I've seen lots of cantaloupe nests nearby, so we might have to make do with them."

"You are so cruel." He gives off a little shudder and I laugh heartily, and he joins. We both drift off and it gets a little awkward again. The way he raises his eyebrows screams uncertainty and insecurity, and I know that, probably for the first time in his life, he has no idea what he's supposed to say. I feel awful as soon as I realize that I'm faring much better than he is. I nudge my glasses slightly off my face as I pinch the bridge of my nose. I don't know how to fix this. I can't get back with him, I just _can't_. Not that he's a bad guy, far from it. It's just really, really complicated. I let go of the bridge, which makes my glasses land lower down my nose. I grab them by the frame of the lens with a thumb and forefinger and lift them up my face so they sit comfortably.

 _Goddammit, what am I supposed to do?_

"Louis," I start up slowly, "I have a proposal to suggest."

"I do."

"Okay, poor word choice. I have an idea, an _idea_ to suggest."

"I know, I was just messin' around." His shoulders sag and his thick eyebrows sadly knit together. He is hurting, bad.

"What if we were to go back to being friends again?" I begin. He lifts his head slightly, listening. "I don't know about you, but I hate how awkward everything is. I'd really like for us to try and get past that, maybe go back to when I first got here. I miss hanging out with you, man."

"I miss hanging out with you too, Alex," he murmurs, his voice barely audible. He puts on what I can tell is his bravest smile before excitedly saying, "Think of all the music we can write together!"

"Oh my god, I know!" I exclaim, nodding enthusiastically. "We could definitely be, like, Ericson's resident band."

"Shall we get started when you get back?"

"Alex!" Mitch calls for me from the gates. "Let's get a move on!"

"I'm coming!" I yell at Mitch. I turn to Louis. "Absolutely! I'll catch you later, Louis."

"Be careful out there, Lex," he says with a warm smile. "I can still call you Lex, right?"

"Of course. And I will be. See you soon." I extend a clenched fist and he bumps it with his own. I turn to catch up with the others, my backpack bouncing on my back as I run. Maybe we can sort this. Getting back together is definitely off the cards, but we can repair the damage I caused.

* * *

 **Alex**

"This hunt is going nowhere," Aasim complains as, after yet another hour, we still haven't caught a single thing. And of course, I know we've been out here for a while, because I'm painfully aware of his constant whining.

"We have to keep trying," Brody reasons calmly, "something is bound to turn up."

"Oh yeah?" Aasim argues back. "It's been like this for a couple of weeks now, where we can't catch a damn thing. We are slowly running out of food nearby, and we're supposed to stay positive?"

"Lay off her, Aasim," Mitch snaps, stepping up to him aggressively, his stocky build working in his favor. "This isn't anyone's fault, so stop acting like Brody's deliberately starving us."

While they continue arguing among themselves, I hear rustling from a nearby bush. It sounds promising.

"Guys," I hiss sharply, interrupting them. I point sharply towards the bush and they all shut up. I retrieve my blade and slowly approach the bush, a steady footstep at a time. The others follow me, weapons ready. I move towards it, with the feeling of promise rising in my chest, but as I get nearer, I hear something that makes my heart drops. I raise a hand behind me to get the others to stop.

"What's wrong, Alex?" Brody whispers behind me.

"Do you guys not hear that?" I enquire. They all strain to hear, but then shake their heads in unison. "Just... stay here," I instruct, gesturing with outstretched hands. I creep towards the bush, the faint walker snarling they couldn't hear growing louder to my ears. I pull my gun out of my belt and eject the magazine. I glance back at the others and mouth, _watch this_ , before tossing the magazine just in front of the bush. It lands with a dull _thud_.

"Well, this is fucking stupi-" Aasim starts before he is suddenly interrupted by the rotting arm that breaks out of the bush. The little bitch, clearly not expecting it, lets out a terrified yelp. I, already on my toes, spring towards the walker as soon as its head pokes out, driving my blade hard into its soft skull. It stops moving. I straighten up, sheath my knife and furiously storm up to Aasim.

"This," I say through gritted teeth, angrily pointing at the dead walker behind us, "is exactly why you don't dismiss someone's idea if they think they've seen or heard something. You have to stay focused at _all_ times, even if you think that the precautions taken are stupid or overly wary."

"It was just a walker in a bush," he argues back defensively, "I don't see what the problem is."

"That's exactly my point! You don't know what it's like out there! It's not like there are walls to hide behind at the end of the day. You're constantly watching for walkers around corners, in bushes, under debris... they are everywhere." I shake my head angrily. "You could easily get caught out. A second is all it takes."

"Pff, whatever," he mumbles back. I am beyond livid, so I square up to him.

"One of these days, Aasim," I say threateningly, "a walker will creep up on you and I won't be there to stop it." I feel the strong grip of Mitch on my shoulder as he pulls me away from Aasim.

"Come on, Alex," he says firmly, "you need to back off too."

"Fine."

Before I can even take two steps away from that dickhead, the faint sound of a massive explosion sings through the air, freezing all of us dead in our tracks. It's followed by the sounds of a car being _majorly_ over-revved. It ends with a series metallic _crunch_ sounds ringing into the sky, before it all falls silent.

Finally, Mitch speaks up: "What the fuck was that?"

"Car crash," I answer instinctively. The sounds a car makes when it smashes into something is unmistakeable to me.

"What do we do?" Aasim asks, concern etched over his face.

"What can we do?" Brody asks rhetorically. "It sounded pretty far off, beyond the safe zone..."

"As much as I hate to say this," I find myself speaking, "but it's not our call. We _need_ food tonight, otherwise it's going to get rough. Let's move, we're burning daylight."

As we walk past the dead walker, I scoop up the magazine, insert it back into my gun, and secure it back into my belt.

* * *

 **Clementine**

I wake up and the first thing that I register is that my head _kills_. The second thing I register is that I'm in a strange room and I have no idea where I am. I gaze around, my vision slightly blurry. I am on the bottom bunk of a bunk bed, with another one across the room on my left. Between the two is a dresser with a few miscellaneous objects on top of it. I'm not too sure but it might be a first aid kit, I can't really tell from this angle. The windows, no longer containing glass, have been boarded up with wooden planks. A stray scrap of curtain is disturbed by the breeze that enters the room. I rest my head again, the pain poking away at me, before...

"AJ!" I cry, bolting upright. Except I don't get very far, as I feel sharp tug in my left arm. I look across and see that my wrist has been taped to the bed post, hence the inability to move very far. I examine the tape and tear it off. Gingerly, I sit myself up on the bed and have another quick glance around the room.

"What is this place?" I ask myself as I pull myself to my feet. I look over to the dresser, and I was right, there is a first aid kit on top. I bring my hand to my head and find it's been bandaged. I have no idea what is going on. My best bet would be to arm myself. I scan the room and find my eyesight landing on the closet behind me. I dart over to it and tug it open. It's empty, except I see a tool box on a shelf... quite a bit above me. I fold my arms angrily as Alex's taunts dart through my head.

Time to prove her wrong.

I stand on my tip-toes and stretch up to the tool box, but it's too far back and I can't reach. Defeated, I stop trying to reach it.

She was right... I _am_ short.

Fortunately for me, behind me is a desk and a chair. Perfect. I grab the chair and drag it to the closet, where I can climb up it and grab the tool box with ease. It's covered with stickers and dried flecks of paint. Climbing down from the chair, I place it on the desk and open it up to examine its contents. I find a small palette knife. It seems sharp enough. This'll do. I walk up to the door and try opening it. Unsurprisingly, it's locked. But that's not a problem for me now. Using the palette knife, I force the door open. I ease the door open and peer out.

The room leads into a corridor with a lot of graffiti. It's empty. I creep outside, the sound of my footsteps bouncing off the walls. I try to step as lightly as I can, but it can't be helped. This place is a mess: cracked walls, splintered floor tiles, ivy creeping everywhere, damaged and discarded furniture blocking off corridors, holes in the ceiling...

I spy a damaged display case with the words "fuck you" etched into the glass... very mature. I make a left and follow the corridor around to the right. I peer around the corner, and I see the doors at the end open... Shit! Someone's coming! I need a place to hide! I frantically search around and bolt behind a small wall, and wait, palette knife at the ready. Their footsteps ring around me as they approach nearer, cautiously stepping towards the door I left ajar.

It's... it's a kid. As soon as he sees that I'm not in the room, he draws a knife of his own, preparing to venture inside to investigate.

"Don't move," I instruct as I spring to my feet. It scares the life out of him. "Stay where you are. Don't turn around." He raises his arms in surrender. "Put down the knife."

A male voice from nearby, accompanied by the sound of a bow being prepared, speaks up: "How about you do the same?" I look to my right and see a silhouetted figure. The boy turns around to face me, and the figure moves away from the corner. "We're not gonna hurt you. We've got your boy. He's safe." I quickly glance at my pathetic little palette knife, and then back at the figure, who still has his bow drawn and ready. "I'll take you to him. Just put down the knife," he says lowly, a warning.

I comply and drop it.

"Your turn," I say. In a smooth motion, he slowly releases his bow. "See?" he says as he steps out of the shadows, putting away his weapons as he walks, "we're not going to hurt you." Standing before me is a kid, with blonde hair, shaved at the sides, wearing a dirty letterman jacket. A bright red 'E', peeling off slightly, is on the front of it. The smaller boy steps up beside him. "I'm Marlon," he introduces himself warmly. He places a hand on the shoulder of the other boy. "The little guy is Tennessee. Tenn for short. He's the one who's been taking care of you."

The boy known as Tennessee looks down at the ground in front of him, unwilling to look up.

"He, uh," Marlon explains, "doesn't talk much."

I introduce myself: "Clementine."

"Sorry about locking the door and tying you to the bed and all," he says apologetically. "You were, uh, in pretty rough shape when we found you. We had to take precautions, y'know, just in case."

"No need to explain. Like you said, I was in pretty rough shape."

"Yeah, to say the least," Marlon replies, offering a warm smile. It's quickly replaced by a pensive scowl. "It must have been tough out there. For the both of you." I glance away briefly, unsure of what to say, so I stay quiet. "Anyway, didn't mean to scare you," he reiterates, "just being cautious. Sorry if it came across the wrong way, but you're safe now. So's your friend. Come on, let's go see your boy."

He turns away down the hall and I follow him, Tennessee tagging along behind. He leads us outside, and... holy shit, I can't believe this place. Buildings, greenery, other people. They even have walls! It's a community... and I am temporarily lost for words.

As Marlon comes up behind me, he asks, "So you've been surviving out there a while, huh?"

"Yeah," I answer, "we've been on the road a long time."

"Take it you know how to handle yourself?"

I think about how shit things have been recently: the shortage of food, the rigged supply AJ and I found. It hasn't been great.

"It's taken its toll," I admit honestly. "Been making a lot of mistakes recently. You saw the car."

"Don't be so hard on yourself. You lived, didn't you?"

Only just. Marlon walks onwards and I decide to follow down a footpath, the overgrown grass lapping at the edges. As we walk, I see one boy carrying a pile of logs. Tennessee runs from behind me towards a wall and emits a sharp whistle, disturbing the distant figure lying on top of it. There are picnic benches nearby and I spy a rather thick novel sat on top of it. I sigh; the reminders are everywhere.

"It's good we found you when we did." I look up at Marlon as he speaks. "It wasn't easy getting you two out of that wreck, and walkers were on the way."

Wait a second... _walkers_? Everyone has their own word for the dead, and usually these differ greatly. The Garcías' word for it was in _Spanish_ , which shows how much it varies between people. Yet this lot use the same word Lee coined all those years ago? Coincidence? I don't know...

"The car, was it totaled?" I ask urgently.

"Yeeah."

"Fuck." I stop walking as I think about how reduced my options are now. That car was the main factor in our survival, and now it's just scrap metal. I mentally kick myself for being so careless. These stupid little mistakes keep adding up, constantly making me lose my focus as I try to avoid repeating them. It's like a large snowball, rolling, and growing, growing. I'll be realistic here, I need someone to keep me sharp and attentive while I look after AJ. On my own, it's difficult. While I was lost in my thoughts, I didn't notice another younger boy emerge in front of me, with straw-like brown hair. His mouth is slightly agape as he stares at me, revealing missing and uneven teeth.

"I don't know what would've happened if we hadn't seen the smoke," Marlon continues from ahead, not noticing I've lagged behind.

"I... appreciate it..." is all I can offer. This kid is distracting.

"All alone with a kid? Not a pleasant thought," Marlon muses, the kid still starting at me.

"Uh... hi there?" I say uncertainly to the boy. And just like that, he runs off. What the hell? Marlon has noticed that I've fallen behind and comes back to re-join me. "What's his problem?" I ask.

"You're just new," he says simply. "We haven't seen anything like you in... quite a while."

 _Oh really?_ Who the hell is going to be like me? I gaze around the courtyard and ask the question that's been nagging me since I woke up; "What is this place?"

"You can probably tell it used to be a school. Now it's whatever we want it to be."

"And who's in charge?"

"Well... I am. Probably sounds strange, kids run by a kid, but we do alright for ourselves. It's always good to have some new faces around too."

"Is that so?" I query.

"Yep. We've had one 'outsider' join us, but she's been here so long, she part of the family now. You can be too."

"That sounds nice," I say warmly, feeling a faint smile grow on my face.

"Then allow me to make it formal: welcome to Ericson's Boarding School for Troubled Youth," he declares, lifting an arm to present the place with a small spin. "You and your boy, it feels like you both fit that description."

"I was pretty good as a kid before everything changed," I reply. "Made _a lot_ of trouble since then."

"We all had to grow up fast," Marlon says as he folds his arms, looking off into the distance. "I'd say that goes double for your boy. He's been a little terror since he arrived."

"Uh," I start up defensively, "excuse me?"

"Let's just say he hasn't been happy without you around," he says flatly, turning to face me. "At all."

 _Oh boy._ _It'll be fun unpicking this mess._

"YO! MARLON!" a gravelly voice screams from the distance, startling me. I look to find the origin, and it's that weird toothy boy from the top of a watch post. "We've got walkers on the fence!"

"Shit, I need to take care of this," Marlon tells me. He appears a little disgruntled. As he walks away, he grumbles, "Knowing Willy it's two grandma walkers and an angry squirrel. You got bigger fish. The kid's inside... I think he's with Louis."

"Louis?" I question, the vagueness irritating me slightly. How am I supposed to know who Louis is? Marlon realizes this.

"Oh, right," he corrects himself as he walks away, calling over his shoulder, "just listen for the music, you'll find him. Get a move on Willy! Where's you damn weapon?"

* * *

 **Alex**

"So let me get this straight... we've been out here for hours, and all we've got are three rabbits? Shit!"

"We tried Alex," Brody tries to comfort me as I pace angrily.

"I know we did," I utter weakly, defeated, "but we're draining the nearby resources. We _have_ to reach out further!"

"But we can't go outside the safe zone!" Brody squeaks, her breathing getting more frantic. I can sense another panic attack brewing, so I take the more consilatory approach.

"Okay, no, fine, fine," I stutter, "now's not the time. We've gotta get back, it'll be dark soon." Mitch, who was in the distance collecting his kill, wanders back over, his catch hoisted over his shoulder. The determination in his face says that he's not ready to give up on this hunt just yet. "Alternate suggestion: you guys can hang back for a little longer while I'll press on ahead, maybe clear the way you for if there's any trouble."

"Be careful," Mitch says.

"I'll be fine, but that explosion, that'll probably draw more trouble," I state, my speech slightly muffled now. "Watch out for each other, okay?"

And with that, I start sprinting back towards the school, the wind whistling in my ears. The dazzling sunset is distorted by the grimy flecks of blood and grease caked onto my glasses, making it more difficult to see things. My breathing stays mostly light, all the time spent working on my fitness finally paying off. Laps around the school every evening in all weathers, with Louis shouting his encouragement each time I passed him.

Before I know it, I'm nearing the main gates, with a very disgruntled Violet peering out of them.

"Vi!" I call as I jog up to her. "What's going on?"

"Walkers are closing in and we've got to clear them out. _Someone_ completely wrecked their car and it's bringing them right to our doorstep. We had to go out and drag them back." She rolls her eyes, clearly pissed off.

"I heard it. You're telling me someone actually survived that? It sounded pretty terminal if you ask me," I say, brushing a few strands of hair out of my face.

"Where are the others?" Marlon asks, approaching the gate.

"I went ahead," I reply, gesturing a thumb behind me. "They should be coming along soon."

I noticed Violet's eyes widen as she spies something behind me.

"Alex! Watch yourself!" she yelps. I spin around and spy a few walkers in the distance. Without a moment's hesitation, I pull my bandanna from my neck over my face and draw my blade in a single fluid motion. More walkers emerge from the treeline.

"Get the others out here, now!" I instruct as I prepare to bolt. I spring towards the first walker, take its leg out from underneath it, and sink my knife into its skull.

Piece of cake.

* * *

 **Clementine**

Marlon ushered us out here pretty urgently, saying that walkers are starting to close in on the school. He wanted a little extra help from me, which I agreed to.

"Rosie!" Marlon yells. "Where the hell is she?"

As I walk along with AJ, and Louis, who I've just met, I spy a girl up by the main gate, peering out. As we draw closer, Marlon turns to Louis.

"You give her her weapon back?" I draw my knife as an answer. "Good. We're going to need you to put it to use. We've got a hunting party out there trying to get back inside. One's out there now trying to clear the way, and she needs our help."

"Lex?!" Louis questions, his voice dripping with concern. "Is she okay?"

"Yeah, she's fine," Marlon replies, and I watch as Louis' face floods with relief. "There seems to be more than usual out there today..."

The girl at the gate finally speaks up: "It's almost like something drew their attention. Something like... I don't know, an explosion. Or a car crash."

"Vi..." Marlon challenges, clearly not impressed with her callous behavior. Well, I'm not sinking to her level.

"I don't think we've met," I say. "I'm Clementine."

"Yeah I know," she replies instantly. "Your kid won't stop talking about you." I feel a scowl grow on my face. What's her problem? Louis clears his throat from behind me.

"Hello Clementine," he says with an overly sweet voice, like a parent trying to teach their child how to interact with people, "I'm Violet, nice to meet you."

"What he said."

 _Okaaaay..._

"Guys!" yells as distant female voice which instantly catches my attention. We all gather towards the gate and peer out. A solitary figure it out there, seriously kicking some walker ass. I watch as she sweeps a leg out from beneath a walker before plunging her knife into its head, kind of like how... I do it? It's similar, very similar... "I need some help out here," she calls, "and I need it now!" Wait a second. That voice is awfully familiar... but I can't place it. Violet opens up the gate and heads outside, while Marlon pulls an arrow out of his quiver and fits it to his bow.

"Be careful out there," he says, determined expression on his face. He turns and runs after Violet.

"Don't mind Violet," Louis says softly, coming up to me. "She, uh, grows on you. I promise." As he finishes his sentence, he hoists what looks like a chair leg with a lot of nails hammered into the top, like some barbaric furniture club. I look at it quizzically, which Louis notices. "Oh this?" he says as he swings it off his shoulder, showing it to me. "It's a chair leg. I call it _Chairles_." He smirks at his own joke, before turning away and following the others.

I shake my head while simultaneously rolling my eyes at that dumb joke. I've known him for the best part of five minutes and Louis is already quite a character. I pass through the rusty old gate, closing it shut behind me. A tiny voice rings out from it.

"Clem! Lemme help!" AJ pleads. I turn back towards him and crouch to his level.

"I need you to watch my back. Call out from inside if you see anything. Cool?" I finish with a small, reassuring smile.

"Okay..." AJ says, disappointed. It's for his own good, it's too dangerous out here.

"See you on the other side." I turn and head towards the walkers and watch as Violet drives a meat cleaver into a walker's head, using her foot to kick it off. Meanwhile, Louis swings _Chairles_ with all of his might, knocking the walker of its feet. The other figure... 'Lex'... I can't see her face. It's covered by a bandanna, with thick-rimmed glasses peeking over the top of it. She stabs a walker straight in its head, before pulling the blade out and tossing the body to one side. I prepare myself to follow the others into the fight.

Gripping my knife tightly, I walk purposefully up to a walker, kick its leg out from beneath it, and stab it. The reanimated corpse goes still, and I wrestle my blade out of its skull, the body slumping onto the damp ground. A second one lurches towards me as soon as I free my blade, not giving me the space or time to recover. It lunges at me, and I have to resist with all my energy to stop it from sinking its teeth into me. I can't... I can't push it away from me! Out of the corner of my eye, I see someone leap onto the wrecked car beside me, before launching off, tearing the walker off me. Before I can register what is happening, I watch as Lex wrestles with the walker on the ground before killing it, sinking her knife into the soft skull of the walker. She shoves the body aside before pulling herself to her feet.

She looks straight at me and freezes.

"Holy shit..." she whispers, her eyes widening. "No way... no way..." She then snaps out of it and runs towards Louis.

 _What the hell is going on?_

I follow behind her, tackling a walker that was hunting her down, killing it.

"Woah, nice one Clementine!" Louis shouts from the distance. "Could use a little more finesse though! Watch and learn!" He turns to Lex. "Dynamic Duo?"

"Fuck yeah," she replies, with an accent twang that I cannot for the life of me work out where it's from! Southern, perhaps? She starts whistling a loud, piercing whistle to attract the walkers' attention, while Louis produces a knife. He crouches down near a tree and cuts a small rope. A huge rock comes crashing down from above, landing on the walker and turning it into a bloody pulp.

"And _that's_ how you school a walker!" Louis proudly announces.

"Lou!" Lex yells at him. "Stop showing off and give me Chairles!" Louis complies and throws it to her, which she catches with ease.

"Seriously?" Violet shouts from nearby. "You're indulging him with that stupid name?"

"Focus guys!" Lex yells back, running towards another walker. She swings as hard as she can, removing its lower jaw. I watch as it sails through the air before landing at my feet. "And Louis, stop wasting the traps! We can do fine without them!" she scolds angrily. Louis responds with a sheepish grin. Where on earth have I heard that voice before? It's driving me insane!

We all spot the fiery torchlight from nearby at the same time. Marlon announces that it's the rest of the hunting party and we continue to press on through the walkers. As Lex throws Chairles back to Louis, a small sparkly glint catches my attention. I look closer and I see it, suspended from her neck, poking out beneath the bandanna.

A golden ring hanging from a cord. And then it all clicks into place.

No... no way... it's not Lex...

It's _Alex_. The glasses, the way she's taking out the walkers, the voice... she's alive. She spots me staring at her.

"Stay focused, Shorty, we'll talk soon," she calls over to me, resulting in a puzzled, _what-the-fuck_ look from Louis, who quickly swings at a walker, caving in its skull. I stride up to another walker and dispatch of it, while the masked specter covers my rear. I stab another before Marlon calls us over and we make our way over a small bridge.

"Nice timing," Violet addresses the hunting group as they approach, "we weren't going to be able to hold them off much longer." Alex shakes her head disapprovingly.

"This isn't as bad as you're making it out to be," she says from behind the bandanna.

"It's a good thing you went ahead and cleared some space from us," Brody offers.

"Did you guys manage without me okay?"

"Fine, but we lost a rabbit." Alex glares angrily at the boy without the rabbit.

"Oh for fuck's sake, Aasim!" she growls before turning back to the school. "Let's get a move on and get inside," she instructs the rest of us.

"Keep an eye out for stragglers," Marlon warns.

I look up at Alex, on my right, who raises her eyebrows as a greeting. She pulls down the bandanna, revealing a bright, cheery smile. The bright cheery smile that was infectious and could always cheer me up. I smile back, trying hard to fight back my tears. I notice a small scar on her face, the side I'm on, starting just below her nose and travelling down over her lips and halfway down her chin. It's a raw pink color, so it must be a relatively new injury. It's weird... it's like looking at a ghost. Yet here she is, alive, tougher, and older. Violet follows up on my left, meat cleaver at the ready.

"You know, you're not half bad considering the circumstances and all," Violet compliments me.

"Thanks," I reply, also smiling at her.

"Alright," Alex chirps up, "let's take these fuckers out," the _fuckers_ being crippled walkers, shuffling or crawling around the gates. Violet takes out one walker, leaving the other with an arrow sticking out of it for me. I kill it, only to watch the boy known as Aasim fire an arrow at a walker, muttering "piece of shit" as he goes to retrieve his projectile. Oh no. A walker is creeping up behind him, and Alex sees it too. She sprints towards the walker, tackling it to the ground. She wrestles with it, trying hard to shove it off her, but with little luck.

A piercing whistle followed by the loud cry of "Rosie!" sounds from her. I rush towards the tangled pair, and grab the walker, trying to pull it off. I drag it off Alex, who is cursing and scrambling away from it on all fours. And before I can take two steps away from it, a large mass of muscle and fur comes charging up to in, sinking its teeth into its head and crushing its skull into a bloody pulp. It's... it's a dog...

My heart leaps into my throat and my breathing gets rapid and shallow. I feel the screaming agony of my arm being torn to shreds flare up along the old scar. My hands tremble uncontrollably as my legs turn to jelly, while my head feels faint. The dog steps up towards me menacingly, growling.

"Hey hey hey!" Alex says as she rushes up between me and the dog. "Rosie, go find Marlon!" The dog pauses and cocks her head as if she doesn't understand what Alex's saying. "Where's your daddy, girl?" she continues, and the dog excitedly trots up to Marlon and sits by his feet. He crouches beside her, scratching her head.

"Good girl!" he praises her, beaming. "I see you and Rosie are making friends."

"Had a bad experience with a dog once," I admit, poking my head from behind Alex.

"And yet," Alex says with a small laugh, "you're using me as a human shield... thanks a lot, Clementine."

"Wait," Marlon says with a confused expression, "you two know each other?"

"From way back," Alex replies proudly, pushing me forward from behind her. "We got separated a long time ago."

Marlon nods, as if satisfied with the answer. "Let's get inside. I'm fuckin' starving."

"Amen to that," Alex calls out to him. We all follow him back to the school and having Alex by my side again fills me with such confidence, as if nothing can go wrong. Someone who knows my every move, who has my back. "By the way," she whispers to me, "when we get inside those gates, you're getting a fuckin' massive hug."

I feel my cheeks flush. There's something about her that's... different. Her manner is more mature, more sensible, gentle, caring. She looks worn, hardened, and if that scar is anything to go by, she's been through a lot. Yet that sparkle in her eyes is as vivid as it was the night I met her. And I'm finding myself getting mesmerized in them. She gives me a cute smirk before looking ahead.

 _Oh my god she is just stunning and I can't believe that she's alive and here after all this time and I'm here too and I'm literally an internal mess and I can't even-_

My thoughts are interrupted by Louis jogging up to join us.

"Still standing I see," he says to me. He turns to Violet. "I'd call that a B-plus performance there, Vi. You've done better."

"Fuck off," Violet retorts, flipping him off. Alex laughs.

"B-minus then. Now, Clem here? That was a solid A, A-plus even."

"What about Alex?" I ask. "That was like an A-plus-plus. You've really improved since I last saw you."

Alex giggles before saying, "Thanks, Clem."

"Woah, hold up," Louis orders, coming to a standstill. "You two definitely know each other?"

"Uh-huh," Alex says with a quick nod. "Long story."

I watch her as we walk back, ignoring Marlon and Aasim argue up ahead. She's wearing ripped jeans, a faded leather jacket, scuffed boots, a grubby gray bandanna around her neck, her precious ring hanging from her neck. And then I see her shirt.

"Alex?" I ask gently.

"Yeah?" she answers.

"You're not seriously wearing a shirt that says, "bite me," are you?"

"Yes, yes, yes I am."

* * *

 **Alex**

I get inside the gates. It's good to be home again. I'm hungry, I'm tired, and I am so, so happy. I wander a little way into the school courtyard before spinning around on my heel.

I gaze at the tiny girl who was fading into a distant memory. And here she is, standing in front of me, making her way inside the school. She is absolutely tiny and it's adorable. The sweet, dainty features of her face make me feel all fuzzy inside and I am overwhelmed by the desire to kiss her. Overall, she's just... beautiful... and my heart is threatening to burst out of my chest. Before either of us could say a word, she charges at me, crashing into me and causing me to land on my ass. The tears she'd been fighting back (yes, I noticed!) spill over instantly and she blubbers incoherently, clinging on to me as if her life depended on it. I sit up a little before shuffling onto my knees, clutching her.

"Alex," she weeps, "I saw you get swept away, I thought you were... I thought you w-"

"Shh, shh," I whisper, feeling my voice start to crack, "it's okay. My lucky streak, remember? Getting out of tight spots, that's my thing." I hug her tighter, closer. "God, I've missed you."

"I've missed you too," she whimpers, her body being wracked by a fresh wave of sobbing. I push her away from me to get a better look at her face. The tears have created tracks in the dirt on her face, and she's beaming at me, as if my sudden reappearance is the best thing that has ever happened to her. I gently wipe the tears away from cheeks, to which she smiles even harder, appreciatively. Her beautiful brown eyes glisten in the moonlight and I can feel myself falling in love. Hard.

And I think that now would be the perfect time to kiss her.

Should I?

* * *

 **And that's where I'm going to leave it until next time! Let me know what you think by dropping a review, and if you're new to this story and want to stay updated with it, give it a follow and/or a favorite! I'll probably see all of yous in a month or so!**

 **Until next time!**

 **Subtle**


	6. War and Stew

**Hello again! I managed to piece this entry together pretty quickly (a week and a half?), but it doesn't cover a whole lot of ground in _Done Running_ , but I have included some extra stuff. It's still got a fair bit of length to it.  
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 **We're now at 16 favourites and 21 follows which is NUTS. I hope everyone's enjoyed reading this as much as I've enjoyed writing it. Before we dive in, I've got a few reviews to reply to. Some of these made me laugh quite a bit.**

 **Review replies:**

 **SilverWolfGirl5: Personally, I'm not sure about Clementine's death at the end of The Final Season. The foreshadowing has been very heavy-handed, which makes me feel like the developers will do a 180 and take someone else out instead. That said, I'm holding out for multiple endings. Previous seasons have shoe-horned all our choices into a single outcome (which I don't have a problem with at all, just observation), and since this is the _final_ season, I feel it would be best if there were different endings so everyone would have _their_ ending, _their_ journey, if that makes sense? I have many different ideas on how to end this, but I'll have to see how things go down in both my main (Violentine) and alternate (Clouis) playthroughs before really thinking through how I want to wrap this up. Who knows, maybe having an extra pair of hands could save some people?**

 **Jestalnaker94000: Thank you so much for your kind words! Indeed they have!**

 **tixertape: That's great to hear! And no, it's not a bad thing, I intend to include aaalllll the pining! :)**

 **ScGonzaga: I'm glad you're enjoying the story, don't worry about getting worked up over it! Your review and your reaction made me chuckle. I intend to take this pretty far, at least a little beyond The Final Season, depending on endings and outcomes. This is chapter 6 and I'm only an hour into Done Running. We've got a looong way to go. Or, I guess you could say, a Long Road Ahead.** **.. I miss Lee.**

 **Secret life of writing: I'm glad you're enjoying this. As my first TWD story, I was a tad nervous about starting this one, not only because of a new ship, but because it was an OC ship. I wasn't sure how people would find it, but so far, so good! And Clem and Alex cute? Wow, um, hm, that's, uh... yay!**

 **And this is a general note - I received a review from an anonymous user that I did not publish (I moderate guest reviews). This was because the comments included with it weren't constructive criticism, at all, simply saying that OCs are 'cringey' and 'garbage'. Of course, everyone's entitled to their opinion. If you don't like OC fics, then that's fine. If you don't like my work, then it's fine. There are some fic topics and features that I'm not necessarily pulled into either, but I don't go out of my way tell the authors that their chosen category sucks. I accept constructive criticism, and I appreciate it greatly. However, it goes down to the old saying, if you haven't got anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. Just a quick PSA, that's all. ;)**

 **Anywho, that's all the admin sorted. This is the part where I leave and let the chapter take over. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Clementine**

And here we are, years apart, crouching in the dirt, starting at each other. After years of doubt and speculation, she's alive! At this distance, I'm able to examine her closely. The scar on the left side of her face - my right from where I am - runs completely across her lips, as if the cut was pretty deep. As she smiles, the top half it shrinks while the bottom half stretches slightly. The slight roundedness from her face has long gone, as if she finally shed some of the baby fat from her cheeks. Her bright, sparkling blue eyes glisten with the tears she's fighting back. The fact that she's crying is an incredible sight. I've seen her cry with frustration, with pain, but never this. Happiness. Overwhelming happiness. Except, in typical Alex fashion, she's not letting the tears spill. They fog up the lenses of her glasses, which, surprise surprise, are filthy. With a delicate hand, I take them off her, which she allows without protest.

We both laugh nervously, her chuckle making my heart flutter. This is surreal, I never dreamed... no, that's not true. I always dreamed of seeing her again. I never thought I'd ever, ever see her again. The more I thought about her over the years, the more I realized that, yes, I did have a very, very small crush on her. But me being me, clueless, I simply thought I enjoyed her company because we were good friends. As soon as I realized, I started mentally kicking myself all the time, for being a complete idiot. We stare at each other in silence. The hand she used to wipe away my tears has moved. Alex is holding my face up by my chin. It's gentle, more supporting rather than forcing me in place. I want to be here.

I find that my gaze keeps drifting to her scarred lips, no matter how many times I force it away. I notice that she's doing the same thing, looking at my lips, then to me, and then back to my lips. As soon as she realizes that I know what she's thinking, she raises her eyebrows apologetically. I send a soft smile that says it's okay. I can feel the slight pull as she brings me in and-

"Clem?"

Oh, you have _got_ to be kidding me...

"AJ!" I squeak, embarrassed. "What are you doing?" I feel my cheeks redden as I become painfully aware of the possibility that other people could have been watching the whole time too.

"Holy..." Alex utters as her head snaps to the tiny voice of AJ, who is standing uncomfortably close to us. "That's... that's..." she stutters, pointing at the kid in disbelief, "... that's AJ?! Oh my god, he's so big! You found him! You actually found him! Holy fuck!"

"Clem says I can't use those words," he says, his brow furrowing in disappointment as he glares at me, clearly wishing to swear.

Alex ignores him and starts laughing, at a complete loss for words. She brings her hands up to her temples, clearly not believing what she's seeing. She starts laughing. "Didn't I tell you everything will be okay?"

"You did," I beam brightly, secretly fuming at AJ for interrupting us!

"My God, Clem, well done! I knew you could do it!" she grins cheerily, clearly struggling to register everything that's going on. "So, AJ, you probably don't remember me, but my name is Alex. It's nice to meet you," she says warmly as she turns to him, extending a hand. AJ stares at her, unsure of what he's supposed to do. With her free hand, Alex gently clasps AJ's and guides it into hers, before giving it a shake. His face screws up as he's confused as to what's going on. Alex picks up on this. "It's a friendly greeting," she explains simply, an encouraging smile on her face. "It's what people used to do when they first met each other." Alex lets go, leaving AJ to examine his hand in bewilderment.

"I recognise you from the photographs Clementine has," he says, switching his gaze between the Nashville native and his hand.

"Photographs?" she asks AJ before turning to me. "You still have them?"

"Of course I do," I reply.

"She looks at them every night," AJ says, his attention returning to Alex.

"I do not!" I yelp defensively, feeling my face flush even hotter.

"She does, every single night!" he continues, not letting me downplay his story. _Oh my god, please stop talking!_

"He lies," I explain quickly, feeling my throat dry up with embarrassment, "compulsive, he never stops."

"Riiiight," Alex says skeptically, a mocking grin plastered across her face. Clearly she didn't buy that. _Goddammit_.

I press her glasses back into her hands, the physical contact lingering for about three seconds. Finally, she takes them from me and puts them on.

"Come on," she says as she stands, extending a hand to help me up. I accept it, and with ease, she pulls me to my feet. She pushes her glasses up her nose with an adorable smirk, and begins introducing me to everyone, clearly proud that she already knows me from way back. AJ goes out of his way to shake hands with everyone, Alex correcting him whenever he used his left hand. I notice that she seems comfortable around Willy and Mitch, unwilling to talk to Aasim, warm towards Violet and Tenn, and reserved around Louis and Omar. Her reaction to Louis is interesting, to say in the least. Or rather, it's his reaction to her. Alex seems very friendly towards him, whereas Louis looks a little lost around her. The confident demeanor he displayed to me seemed to have suddenly vanished as soon as she stepped up to him. Friendly, but very unsure of himself. Finally, we get around to Ruby, who AJ is very reluctant to approach. I push him forward.

"AJ, you need to apologize for biting Ruby," I instruct sternly.

"Wait, are you saying that AJ bit her?" she asks before bursting into a peal of laughter. The southerner glares at Alex, which forces her to laugh even harder. "I'm sorry Ruby, but that is pretty funny!" The Tennessee twang to her accent pokes through a lot more around Ruby, which is just... super cute. Ignoring the fact that Alex's presence is turning me into an internal mess, I encourage AJ to apologize, which she accepts.

"Tell you what," Alex finally says to me, "you go talk to Marlon and Brody. I'll go check on dinner."

"Sure thing."

"Oh, and Clem?"

"Yeah?" I ask. She hesitates slightly before speaking, running a thumb over her ring.

"It's... it's real good to see you again, Shorty." That dreaded nickname, the only that would almost always follow with a soft punch from me. Not this time. This time, I just want to hold her tight and never let go again.

"You only get a free pass on that because I thought you were dead," I shoot back with a laugh.

"Well, you _are_ a lot shorter than I remember."

"And you're much taller."

"Five foot six," she announces proudly. "We found a tape measure the other week, but now we don't know where it's gone. Willy was the last one to have it, so if you ever find it, don't touch it. That boy is filthy." She finishes speaking with a shake of her head and an eyeroll. I can't keep my eyes off the scar on her lips. I find it kind of cute, I guess. Her look has almost evolved from sweet-and-cute to badass, _I could cut your throat unprovoked_. It's attractive.

"I'll keep it in mind."

"See you in a bit."

As she walks away, she lets her hair down, which is pretty long, a few inches below her shoulders. The breeze catches it, causing it to flow behind her. She gives her head a shake to free the hair up a bit. I think it's safe to say that I have one hell of a crush on her. Did we have a moment? Or did I imagine that she was going to kiss me? I don't know. I mean, I hope so. She is literally the most awesome person I've ever met. Already she's keeping an eye out for me, introducing me to everyone here, and teaching AJ how to socialize. It feels as if we're picking up exactly where we left off. Well, almost.

The knotted sense of longing in my chest definitely wasn't there before. She's been gone six seconds and I already miss her.

* * *

 **Alex**

As I walk over to Louis, he flashes his shit-eating grin at me. My guess is that he had watched me introduce Clementine to everyone and noticed that I was absolutely loving it. Why wouldn't I? My partner-in-crime was back! Clem and Alex, kicking ass and taking names, just like the old days! It's so strange seeing her after all this time, her soft voice filling my ears and strangling my heart.

"What?" I ask grumpily. He laughs at me, his chuckle reverberated by the night air. "Get that smirk off your face or I'll get it off with Chairles, you ass!"

"You like her, don't you?" he asks me, teasing. _I, uh, what? Shit!_

"Fuck off Louis!" I hiss defensively, scowling up at him. "I do not!" I hadn't considered that he can read me better than anyone else. Clementine can read me too, but in all fairness, Louis has known me for a lot longer than she has. If anyone knows how exactly how I'm feeling just from my face, it's Louis. He gives me a _yeah, right_ look as he places his hands on his hips, unconvinced.

"That's a lie. You definitely do, and you were gonna kiss her, weren't you?" He raises his eyebrows at me.

"You're imagining things, Lou," I highlight with an awkward, dismissive laugh to mask the fact that he is right on the money. "I haven't seen Clementine in _years_ , I'm not gonna kiss someone as soon as I find them again! Even if I did like them! Which I don't!" I push my glasses up my face again. This pair slips down my nose a lot as they're a little bit on the big side, but out of all the pairs we found, they helped with my vision the most, so they'll have to do.

Louis cocks his head to the side as he listens to my animated ranting, clearly not changing his mind.

"I give it two weeks," he states, grinning even harder. "Two weeks and you'll be together."

"How do you even know she likes me?" I query, folding my arms.

"Violet said so, and you know she can tell. We were all watching you. You two were definitely having a _moment_."

"Dude, what the fuck?" I cry, punching Louis in the arm. "Haven't you guys ever heard of privacy?" Sometimes, I don't believe these guys! It's like being back in first grade!

"It was such a heart-warming moment. We couldn't just ignore it." Playfully, he nudges me back. "It was clear you two missed each other. But I am surprised that you've never mentioned her before."

I sigh before speaking.

"It hurt too much, Lou. The night I lost them both, it felt like... like I had lost my family."

Louis looks at me in a stunned silence, what I said clearly resonating in his head. He doesn't know what to say, and I don't blame him, so I decide to lighten the mood.

"And you guys, watching us, Jesus Christ, respect people's privacy!" I complain in a spirited manner, to show that I'm not really upset with them at all. I'm too happy to get truly pissed off, let alone stay that way.

"Well, you and I both know that it's Willy who doesn't respect privacy. That kid doesn't even understand knocking." Louis rubs his neck awkwardly, thinking about the numerous times we were walked in on by him...

"Oh God, don't remind me," I murmur with a nervous chuckle, feeling myself blush again, albeit for a different reason. "So embarrassing."

"You guys know I'm standing here, right?" Omar speaks up, causing Louis to blush and me to blush even harder.

"Sorry Omar," we chorus to him. He nods as a sign that he accepted the apology and returns to his cooking, his art.

"The time we had together was fun," Louis muses, folding his arms. "Even though it's over, I'm glad it happened, made me realize that not everything in this world sucks."

"I enjoyed it too. I'm sorry I ended it," I say softly, and I mean it. Louis was, is, a sweetheart, and I hurt him so bad. He didn't deserve it at all. I just... have my reasons. The worst part of it is that I can't explain why. Not yet. "And I'm sorry about Clementine. I get it must be hard for you."

"So you _do_ like her."

"I never said-"

"It's okay. We all have to move on at some point," he says, the sparkle in his eyes fading as he breaks eye contact with me. He's hurting, despite the brave facade he's displaying. He's trying with every fiber of his being to be a supportive friend, a good ex. I know he still loves me. Violet told me. I've asked her to keep me updated on how he's doing emotionally, because I know he will always try to fake it around me. His gaze returns to mine, before he flashes a soft, genuine smile. "Now go on Lex, sweep her off her feet. You have my blessing."

"Thanks, dude." I grin at him, grateful for his support and encouragement.

"No problem, Alex," Louis says warmly. "And it looks like Chef Omar is finally happy for his final product to be released." We watch as Omar gathers up the old, cracked bowls we use for food, ready for his wonderful culinary concoction to be served into. We used to have a lot of them, until Louis came up with the bright idea of stacking them. We got a pretty high tower of about eight bowls until they all toppled over and shattered, pieces of ceramic flying everywhere. Being shouted at by Brody and Ruby simultaneously was terrifying, their voices ringing in my ears long after they had stopped scolding us. It took about two months until Lou and I were trusted to be left unattended with the bowls again.

"Thank God, I'm feeling weak at the knees here." It's getting to the point where I'm so hungry I almost feel nauseated.

"I think that'll be Clementine's doing, not the hunger," he jokes.

"Honestly Louis, shut the fuck up!" I squeak, causing him to burst into laughter. I join in too. This guy knows me too well, knowing exactly what to do and say to wind me up. It's driving me insane! I'm glad we're friends again, because I really missed having him around, making me laugh, cheering me up. I just hope that me being this close to Louis doesn't hurt him again.

"Hey Clem! AJ!" Louis yells across the courtyard, cupping his hands together like a megaphone. "Stew's done!"

She looks up to Louis, then to me. I look away shyly and gather some of the filled bowls together, one in each hand, and a third hooked into my arm. Louis also follows my lead, and Violet wanders over to help too.

As she gets close to me, she whispers, "You've definitely got a shot with her."

I feel my face flush, almost dropping a bowl. She smiles, amused by my reaction, before turning away and receiving her servings for the others. I carry the bowls over to the bench Clementine and AJ are sat at. Across from them is Marlon and Ruby. Louis, having finished serving the others, holds back a bowl for himself. He also heads over to the same bench as my long-lost companions, except he seats himself on an old wooden chair at the end of it.

"Here you go," I choke, my voice not wanting to sound out, as I give Clem and AJ their bowls before making my way to the last available seat besides AJ. Where he's smaller, there's still a little room for me to squeeze myself on.

"Thanks, Alex," Clementine says warmly. I look up to Louis who gives me a sneaky wink. I respond with a wicked _shut the fuck up_ glare, causing him to smirk into his stew. The look on Marlon's face strongly suggests that he knows exactly what's going on, so I silently threaten him by subtly stabbing the air with my fork. He grins. This is definitely going to be Ericson's worst-kept secret...

"Bet it's been a while since you've last had a hot meal," I say, hoping to start conversation.

"You have no idea," she replies, taking a forkful. "Wow, this is really good!"

AJ agrees with her statement by lifting his bowl and pouring it down his neck, barely stopping to breathe. I emit a small chuckle and point out how AJ loves it. A disgusted look from Ruby says it all: she is _not_ impressed.

"So, Alex," Clementine starts as I take a spoonful of stew, "how come you didn't go to Prescott?" I don't expect a question from her, so I hastily chew on the piece of meat before responding.

"When I climbed out of that river, I had no idea where I was," I answer, carefully weighing my words. The others don't really know a lot about my 'walker past', and I definitely don't want them to know about our time with the New Frontier. Everything I've done is darker than they could even imagine. It's for their own good. "I kept moving, hoping I would find something. Ended up here."

"I'm glad you made it," she says with a gorgeous smile.

"Uh, yeah... me too."

Oh god. What a dork. She laughs at me and I feel my face burn up for the fiftieth time tonight. The others watch me, exchanging small smiles. Their attention is diverted to Louis who lets out a small belch. His stupid smug face (which I still find faintly attractive) screams that he's proud of it.

"Ugh, come on!" Ruby protests.

An even tinier belch rings out from my right, and I see AJ is wearing most of his stew across his face. He takes a quick glance at everyone before returning to his bowl. I guess things are still pretty rough out there. I sure as hell don't miss it. I'm lucky.

"Where are your manners, AJ?" Clementine reminds him, which he promptly ignores. The scowl on Ruby's face grows.

"Ugh, goodnight," she says, getting up from the bench.

AJ stops slurping his soup and calls out "Goodnight!" after her. He sucks up the last of the stew before placing the empty bowl on the bench. "Clem?" he asks her, clearly wanting more. I get the sneaky feeling that food has been a serious issue for these two recently.

"I'm sorry buddy," she says gently, "I'm sure they shared as much as they could." Poor kid. He looks so disappointed. I slide my bowl to him, but before he can pick it up, Clem places a hand on his arm.

"Al," she says lowly, with the slight air of a threat to it, "if you give AJ that bowl, I will break all of your fingers. You're eating that."

"Woah, I'm not giving it _all_ to him," I say light-heartedly, "we're just... sharing." She gives me a look before letting AJ go, and I allow him to eat it all anyway. He inhales his serving before announcing that he's finished. As soon as Clementine realizes what I've done, she gives me a disapproving glare. Apologetically, I shrug. She rolls her eyes and I laugh.

 _She's so cute when she's pissed_.

"So what entertainment have you got planned for us, Louis?" I ask brightly. As if expecting that question, he quickly hops off his chair, turns it around so the back is leaning against the bench and sits on it. Proudly, Louis produces his pack of cards, resulting in Brody voicing her disapproval from behind us.

"Violet, it's time!" he calls to her. She quickly spins off her seat, leaving Tennessee to his drawing, and comes to join us. AJ, noticing Tenn, shoots off his seat towards him, allowing me to scoot closer to Clementine.

"What's the game tonight, Lou?" Marlon asks.

"War," Louis announces in a serious voice. _Shit_.

"Nope, I'm out," I declare, rising to my feet. "Goodnight, y'all." I'm stopped as Clem grabs hold of my wrist with a vice-like grip.

"Come on, Alex, it'll be fun," Clementine insists.

"Uh, no. No no." I emit a nervous chuckle. "I'm gone."

"Please? For me? I haven't seen you in years. It'll be good to catch up." She flashes these pleading, puppy-dog eyes at me. Huh, that probably worked for her as a kid, but there's no way that's working on me now. She has a snowball's chance in hell that I'll stay and play Louis' stupid game.

"Fine, I'll stay. For you. Not for these shitheads," I find myself saying. _What?!_ _What the hell_ _happened?_ She smirks as me as she knows she's worked her charm on me. That sneaky...

"We love you too, Alex," Louis jokes, shuffling his cards. Resigned, I sit down. I'd rather keep my past _firmly_ in the past, thank you very much. I tug nervously at my ring, anticipating this to be the night everyone thinks I'm some kind of psychopathic killer. Clementine asks how we play, and Violet explains the rules. As she does this, and Louis lays down the additional conditions on asking each other questions, I reach into my jacket pocket for a nearly-empty bag of tobacco, and a rolling paper. I quickly roll one up, before lighting it with a battered lighter.

"Alex, really?" Violet complains as I take a drag. "You know we all hate it when you do that."

"Come on guys," I argue back, "this is my last one. Get off my dick!"

"What about your emergency one?" Louis presses with small laugh. He doesn't care about my smoking now, and he hasn't for years. "That means you have _two_ left."

"Uh, Louis? It's for _emergencies_! I'm not gonna smoke it whenever I feel like it! Last resort only!"

"Come on guys, lay off her," Marlon orders sternly, and they all back off. Louis deals all the cards, and we each reveal our first card. Violet is the highest with a king.

"Way to go me," Violet says. "So, about AJ... where are AJ's parents?"

"They're dead," Clementine answers bluntly, no doubt recalling their deaths. AJ's father, Alvin, sacrificed himself to cover her group's escape from a hardware store. His mother, Rebecca, died from blood loss in the middle of a standoff, cradling baby AJ. It was awful. "They were nice people... for the most part."

"It makes sense," Louis offers, "he's a nice kid."

"Nature versus nurture, Lou," I interject, "I base it on who he was raised by." I look at Clem with a soft smile, before taking another drag. Violet rolls her eyes at me, clearly thinking that I'm acting like a moron. What the hell am I even doing? I shouldn't be worried about impressing her... yet I am. We all flip our next cards. This time, Clementine is the highest.

"Hey, I win," she announces proudly.

"Hey, you do," Louis parrots back. "So what do you want to know?"

"Okay, uh... what's the grossest thing you've ever eaten?" Clementine asks with a cocky smirk.

"It's pretty easy," Violet declares. "Uh, horse eyeballs."

"Slugs," Marlon says simply.

"Cantaloupe," Louis answers, his face twisting with disgust.

"C'mon," Violet complains, not convinced that's the worst thing he's ever eaten.

"Dude, I fucking _hate_ cantaloupe." The last time we tried to force Louis to eat it, he nearly threw up. It was pretty entertaining, watching him wretch as he choked the fruit down. We've eaten some really shitty stuff when we've been desperate, yet that orange-fleshed nightmare is what torments him the most.

"To be fair," I add, "it is like in the shit tier of melons."

" _Thank you_."

"And what about you?" Clementine asks me. Oh boy. I take a quick drag and exhale before answering.

"Rabbit shit," I say as-a-matter-of-factly. Everyone except Louis start freaking out, clearly not believing me. "It's true! Louis made a deal, so that if I ate some, he wouldn't enter the music room for an entire month!" Violet and Marlon murmur between themselves that they did wonder why Louis went AWOL on his 'piano duties'.

"Was it worth it?" Clem asks with a cute grin.

"That's... what I tell myself." She laughs at my perturbed expression and I feel my stomach flutter. _Come on, Alex, hold it together!_

We all proceed to draw our next cards. Louis' cheer of "booyah" tells me that he has the highest card. Dammit, I am so shit at this, and I don't even have to do anything! Louis gives me a quick wink. Uh oh. What is he planning?

"So, uh, ever had like, a boyfriend? Or a girlfriend?" he asks cautiously. Oh no, he is not doing what I think he's doing? Next thing you know he's going to ask whether she has a crush on someone, and I will be forced to stab him! I feel myself reddening so much, I use a hand to cover my face, and keep staring straight at wooden patterns of the bench we're sat at.

"Something wrong, Alex?" Clementine's voice rings from beside me. I don't dare look at her.

"Nope, nope, I'm fine," I quickly reply, my voice cracking slightly. I look up at Violet and mouth _make him stop_.

"Oh my god, what sort of question is that?" Violet asks angrily, coming to my defence, secretly reprimanding Louis and his crappy attempts at setting us up.

"It happens!" he defends himself. "Perfectly valid question! You know that, Vi, I know that, we all know it! People get together, and it happens more often than you think!"

 _Oh my god, Louis, shut up, shut up, shut up!_

"I... met a boy one time," she answers. _What? When did this happen?_ I feel the heat coming away from my face and I gingerly look up.

"And?" Louis presses.

"We were... friends."

"Just friends?" Violet asks. "Nothing else? Nothing at all?" Clementine freezes, her mind clearly elsewhere, definitely thinking about him. I can sense the emotions bubbling up inside her. It hurts to see her so sad.

"I don't know what you'd call them... but I had some sort of feelings for him." She awkwardly rubs the back of her neck. I feel my throat tighten as jealousy starts to kick in a little. I don't believe this... She liked someone else? What was he like? What if he was better than me? What if she doesn't actually like me? What if I'm reading this all wrong? What if we're _all_ reading this wrong? Shit. "Maybe not exactly love, but... something."

The way she talks about him... it didn't end well. I don't think he made it, but I don't dare ask. Not only is it not my turn, it would definitely push her over the edge. Louis looks at me and I glare back. This is why we don't get too personal in these games! It drags up a lot of painful feelings. I push my glasses up my nose, this time using my middle finger to secretly flip him off. Marlon spots this and laughs.

"What is it?" Clementine asks, clearly perplexed at how this would be a funny moment.

"Oh, just Alex and Louis arguing through facial expressions, the usual," he replies with a good-humored smirk. She looks at Louis, and then back at me. Judging from the face she pulls, she thinks we're the world's biggest pair of idiots. I stub my cigarette out on the table, which is littered with more burn marks. We draw again.

"Holy shit. I win!" I say, surprised.

"What do you want to know?" she asks.

"Bet you're probably bursting with questions, Alex," Louis teases, the shit-eating grin returning on his face. Jesus but I could punch him.

"Um... well... I noticed outside, you didn't have a gun on you..."

"I wouldn't fire outside," she responds carefully, unsure of what I'm getting at, "the sound would draw more of them and we already had enough to deal with."

"What I mean is, not why didn't you _use_ a gun. I was asking why you didn't have one _on you_ , y'know?" Her face drops slightly. "It's just, the Clementine from way back was a badass gun-slinger, and I just wanted to know why that changed." She sits there in silence, not daring to look up at anyone. And I know that I've fucked this up. After a prolonged silence, I speak up again. "I shouldn't have asked that, should I? I'm sorry, Clem, it's not my business."

"It's okay, Alex," she musters weakly, resting a hand on my arm to silence me. The other three look at us, bewildered.

"Is there something we should know about?" Louis asks suspiciously. No answer.

"Leave her," Marlon says. "She's entitled to her privacy."

Louis shrugs before flipping his card, prompting us to do the same. I don't know how the hell she keeps doing this, but Clementine's got the high card, again.

"Worst injury you ever saw?" she asks all of us, forcing her voice to sound more upbeat than she's feeling. I feel like such an ass. What I came up with is the type of question you ask in private, not as part of a stupid game. I mentally kick myself, while Marlon is the first to speak up.

"When we found Alex here, she was in pretty rough shape." He pauses for a second before continuing. "She was trapped in the upstairs of a small store in a town about ten miles away, and the only thing she could do was jump out the window. We were lucky we found her, because the broken glass cut up her arms pretty bad. Blood was everywhere, dripping from her arms and it wouldn't stop. Ruby spent the best part of an hour picking out all the larger pieces, and the little splinters before patching her up. Been part of the group ever since."

"I have a lot of scars across my outer forearms," I add to Marlon's story, rubbing along my arm to demonstrate. "I don't... really like going without my jacket now. It looks pretty bad. Like my skin's shredded, y'know?"

"That's not true, Alex. It looks fine," Louis reassures me, flashing a quick smile before turning to his answer. "My worst injury? Alex and I were scouting at a nearby diner about six months ago, and some guy attacked us."

"That's not how it went down, Lou," I interrupt. "This guy held you up, you got mouthy and he went for you. You're lucky he didn't know I was there, because he would have cut you to ribbons if I hadn't stepped in."

"So what happened?" Clementine asks me.

"This man attacked Louis with a knife, and where I jumped in to protect him, the guy's blade caught my face, here." I trace an index finger along my scar. It was a pretty deep cut. "I pushed him off me and Louis tried to swing at him with Chairles, but before he could hit him, Louis got a solid kick in the stomach. I tried to attack him while his guard was down, but he dodged me, and I crashed into a wooden-top counter. He got his knife and drove it straight through my hand, pinning me." I lift my left hand, showing off the scars: one thin, pink line on the back on my hand, the other on the palm.

"Shit..." Clementine says, her eyes widened with disbelief. "What did you do?"

"The only thing she could do; find something, anything, to use as a weapon," Louis continues, looking slightly queasy. "There was a spoon on the counter. She swung at his face and it went straight into his eye. Blinded him." Clementine gasps, raising a hand her mouth.

"I didn't blind him," I protest, "he still had one eye left," I joke. Judging from the look on everyone's face, it wasn't that funny. I switch the focus of the story. "And you learned a pretty important lesson that day, didn't you Lou?"

"Yes..." he groans.

"And what was it?" I prompt.

"The importance of keeping your mouth shut."

"An autobiography," Violet chips in, a wry smile playing on her lips.

"Nothing like saying something stupid and watching your gir- uh, your friend get stabbed to a counter, huh?" I joke, mentally cursing myself for nearly letting our relationship slip in front of Clementine. Louis and I are good friends, nothing else, and I don't want her to suddenly start being wary of him because of our history. It's not fair on him.

"I've apologized like a _million_ times, Alex! I'm sorry!" Louis exclaims.

"Of course, that's also what happens when you go outside the safe zone. It's there for a reason," Marlon scolds us. Killjoy.

"Marlon, we've said we're sorry, and we haven't been out there since," Louis says. _Well, that's technically not true for me._ "Everything went to shit for me after that, I learned my lesson." Louis shrinks again. We broke up not long after that incident. The crazy spoon-stabbing girl freaked out the notoriously violent members of the boarding school, so I kept my distance from everyone after that, including Louis. It took a while before the likes of Ruby or Tennessee would speak to me again. Ruby patched me up in complete silence when we got back.

"What about you, Alex?" Violet asks. "You got anything worse than The Spoon Guy?" Our collective name for that incident.

"Yeah," I say softly, "yeah, I do." I hesitate, as I really don't want to say this, but I feel like with Clementine sat beside me, I feel like I should. She knows that I've lost my family, but she doesn't know how they died. I lick my lips, feeling the dips where the scars lie before speaking. "The worst injury I've ever witnessed was..." I sigh deeply. "Was... my brother's death. He got shot in the head... and it kind of, like... when you shoot a melon... you couldn't recognize him." I drift off as I feel a single hot tear run down my face. A mental image I've been trying to avoid thinking of for years. There's a stunned silence at the table, as if no one knows how to react to this story. Finally, Louis speaks up.

"I... had no idea you had a brother," he says softly, unsure where to look.

"You didn't know?" Clementine asks, surprised by this. They all shake their heads. I haven't told them a damn thing.

"Jesus, Lex," Louis says with a little more volume, "when did this even happen?" I feel more tears run down my face as I am unable to answer.

"A couple of years after everything started," Clementine answers for me.

"We had no idea," Violet says with a sympathetic expression. "I'm sorry."

"I'm done for tonight," I say, my voice barely a whisper, getting up to head back to the dorms. "Goodnight guys."

* * *

 **Clementine**

I feel terrible. What was supposed to be a fun game ended up turning into a bit of a shit show. And now Alex's avoidance makes sense. I have to talk to her and make sure she's okay. I excuse myself from the others before jogging to catch up to Alex, calling after her. She doesn't slow down, and instead picks up her walking pace, storming into the dorm building without stopping. I catch up to her inside, grabbing her arm and dragging her to a halt. She doesn't resist.

"Alex, I am so sorry for what happened back there, I didn't mean to upse-"

I'm interrupted by a sudden hug from her, and her body remains still, almost unmoving. I wrap my arms around her middle and pull her in. It just feels... right, having her this close. I can smell the sharp scent of cigarette smoke clinging to her clothes. At first, it causes me to recoil slightly, but then I sink into the hug more. It's Alex, after all. I want to be near. I want to be close. I want her. More than anything.

"It's okay," she whispers. "It just brought up a lot of feelings, y'know? Stuff I haven't thought about in years."

"I understand."

"It's at that point where I'm starting to forget him. It's awful, Clem. I miss him so fucking much. My big brother... he was always supposed to be there for me."

"I know, I know," I say soothingly, pulling her in tighter. And then I suddenly remember. "I have something that can help." She releases the hug to look at me.

"What is it?" she asks, her brow furrowing in confusion.

"Follow me," I say, and gently lead her back to the dorm room Marlon put me and AJ in. I ease open the door and let her inside, still unsure of what I have planned.

"So, you've been put up in Minnie and Sophie's old room? Neat."

I take off my hat and place it onto the dresser. As she paces around, I find both backpacks that Marlon salvaged from my wrecked car. One pack being mine, the other being Alex's from years back, its blue coloring faded from all the wear-and-tear. There was no way I was going to lose this one, constantly keeping it on me. I hand it to her, and she takes it, but it takes a couple of seconds for her to register what I've just given her. Her eyes widen and her jaw drops as she stares at the bag in her hands, standing still. I don't even think she's breathing while she processes everything that's going on. Without a word, she bolts to my bed, crashes onto it and yanks open the bag. One by one she examines the contents. I go over to join her and watch as she studies her long-lost possessions.

She pulls out her book, the one I read to AJ after I found him again.

"I never got to finish this," she whispers, the sound barely escaping her lips.

"I did, not exactly a page-turner," I reply softly. "AJ liked it though."

"No spoilers!" she says behind tears, knowing exactly what else is going to be in that bag. She pulls out an instant camera, with the initials M.S. etched onto it. Her brother's. The tears spill even more as she turns it over in hands, feeling the weight. She places it on the dresser, before pulling out an old envelope. She opens it up and pulls out a small pile of photographs. She gasps. "You didn't... all of them?"

"All of them."

She examines the first photograph, the one where we're smiling, taken the night Alex was branded by the New Frontier, her silly smile bright and happy, where AJ is sat on my lap, not sure what's going on or what the camera is, pointing at Alex while looking at me as if waiting for me to explain what was going on. She flips it over and reads the message she left for me.

"My savior, my lifeline," she reads. "I didn't know what to do when I lost both of you. I didn't know how to cope. I did some really fucked up shit on the road before I came to this place, like something in me had died that night and I didn't give a damn about consequences or anything." I place my hand on her shoulder to reassure her. "I made it, though," she says with a small smile playing on her lips. She then looks at the next photo, one I had taken, of AJ on Alex's shoulders. We were in the New Frontier's camp, and we could still see Alex's bandages emerging from beneath her sleeve.

"I was still recovering then," she says, wiping the tears from her face. "Once he discovered his love for being carried so high, he would not stop begging for it, would he?"

"He wouldn't," I affirm with a soft laugh. That kid loved Alex before. I just hope he'll still like her now.

We move onto the next photograph. This time, it's of myself and Alex, her arm outstretched where she's holding the camera. We both laugh as soon as we see it.

"Oh my god!" Alex chuckles, "look how young we look! I look so baby-faced."

"You look cute," is a phrase that escapes my lips.

"Right back at you. Christ, I forgot how I looked before I got a knife to the face. That really adds some years to me."

We go through a few more photographs. There's one that I took, where Alex is sat on her camp bed, giving me a thumbs-up and a cute, dorky grin. There's another where I'm asleep in our tent, and I remember what happened when it was taken. Alex took a photo of me drooling my sleep, and the flash woke me up. There's a second photo of me groggily coming to my senses, and a third of me flipping the camera off, a disgruntled scowl plastered across my face. Alex laughs as hard now as she did back then, in response to this merciless mocking, I call her a bitch and start tickling her. She falls back onto the bed, only just carefully putting the photos onto the dresser before I leap on top of Alex, pinning her down. Her shrieks cause me to laugh even harder until tears are streaming down our faces. I'm caught off guard when a well-placed boot to my torso shoves me off the bed and onto my ass, the wooden floor doing little to cushion the impact. Alex stops for a moment and stares at me with a look of horror. Of course, her concern doesn't last long before she bursts into laughter again, clambering off the bed and helping me to my feet.

A quick glance to the dresser causes her to freeze in her tracks. Where she struggled to put the photographs down, the pile scattered across the top of the dresser. She picks up the last photo we didn't look together and examines it, without breathing a word. I peer over her shoulder and look with her. It's a lot more tattered than the others we took. It has a rather young Alex in it, around eleven years old as a guess, with an older man who I presume to be only just in his twenties. His curly, dark hair and unkempt beard gives him a wild look, and the resemblance between him and Alex is unmistakable. Her brother. They have the same sparkling eyes and the same light-hearted grin. Given their messy appearances, this was taken after the world changed.

The man has a golden ring hanging from a cord around his neck. The same one Alex is running her thumb over now. She looks up at me, tears welling up in her eyes again.

"How did you manage to keep all of this stuff?"

"I just... managed to," I reply honestly. It wasn't easy. I nearly lost it helping Kate and Javi seal off the breach in Richmond's defences. It got snagged on the bulldozer as I was climbing off it and the bag nearly tore, spilling all its contents.

"I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything, Alex. It's your stuff."

"Thank you, Clementine. Thank you so much." She places the photograph down gently before turning around.

She steps up to me and pulls me into another hug, except this time, it's slow enough for me to react. I wrap my arms around her neck, and we pull each other in tightly. Alex's warmth is comforting and, in this hug, wrapped in her arms, I realize that this is really what I want. How do I tell her? How do I bring it up? Thousands of these thoughts swirl around my head as I sink further into this embrace, savoring every second of it. I have had years to think about her, and in those years, I realized that I was definitely starting to develop feelings for her back when we were in the New Frontier. I've spent night after night angry at myself for letting the opportunity slide, for not telling her how I feel. I'm not making the same mistake again.

"Alex?" I say softly, my voice a hoarse whisper. Her lips are centimeters away from mine. Should I?

"Yes?" she murmurs, her sapphire eyes locked into mine.

The door bursts open and AJ sprints inside, excitedly shouting "Clem!" We break apart and greet him, who, yet again, always shows up at exactly the wrong moment. Alex flashes me an embarrassed grin before saying goodnight and sliding out of the room, shutting the door behind her.

As I watch AJ draw at the desk, I'm in half a mind to strangle him.

* * *

 **And that's where I'm leaving it this time! Let me know what you thought by dropping a review. If you're new to this story, welcome! If you want to keep up to date, feel free to follow/favorite.  
**

 **Next up, unsuccessful fishing, sabotaged hunting traps, and a dangerous journey outside the safe zone...**

 **See you all then!**

 **~Subtle.**


	7. Pour Your Heart Out

**Hello there! Guess who's back? So, it's been around 6(ish) weeks since I last updated, and we're now two weeks again from Take Us Back! Crazy! Now, confession time: I said at the end of the last chapter, and I quote:**

 **"Next up, unsuccessful fishing, sabotaged hunting traps, and a dangerous journey outside the safe zone..."**

 **SIKE. NONE OF THIS STUFF HAPPENS HERE.**

 **It's gonna be in the next chapter, and I apologise for this. This ended up being longer than I anticipated. Buuuut I hope what I've got in store for you in this chapter will more than make up for it. ;)**

 **At the moment this story is at 21 favorites and 26 follows. Honestly, I don't know where you're all coming from, but welcome, welcome!**

 **Review replies:**

 **Jestalnaker94000: Again, thank you kindly! I know, AJ is a little pain, isn't he?**

 **SilverWolfGirl5: Apologies for the ambiguity, by extra pair of hands, I meant Alex. Who knows how an extra person might change the outcome of a situation? Could it make it better? Or worse? Or just different? I've got a lot planned with this in mind, which you will all see at some point. AJ is also the master of inconvenient timing!**

 **windyrat: To be honest, neither was I. It just... poured out. Some chapters (like this one) I've had a little difficulty in writing, despite being planned out (I've almost mapped out the plot for the entire game, with some notes on stuff I _could_ include throughout the events in Take Us Back. Of course, I'll have to actually _play_ the episode before I can start eliminating or developing ideas, but still, I've been really thinking ahead). The last one was easier to tank through, mostly because it stayed within such a small portion of the game. And 100% ready? Well, let's go!**

 **Secret life of writing: Yeah, dang it, AJ! Again, thank you so much! Alex and Clem: cute is what I aim for! If you think about it, the boarding school kids know Alex pretty well, and they've seen her crush on someone before, so this time around, it's blatantly obvious to them. As for Gabe, Alex doesn't know that, haha. The scene with the photos was definitely a personal favourite of mine to write. It made struggling through the new material I created for the pre-ANF chapters so worthwhile to be able to call back to the two months the pair had together. After all, that's all they had, and I'm striving hard to create a quality-over-quantity relationship between the two, a bond that matches the three years Alex has had with the Ericson Crew.**

 **ScGonzaga: YEAH AJ! :( And thank you very much!**

 **Anywho, this is where I leave you all. Here's the chapter, enjoy!**

* * *

 **Alex**

I gently tap on the door of Minnie and Sophie - I mean, Clementine and AJ's room.

Damn, I miss those twins.

Sophie was an absolute sweetheart, like a walking ray of sunshine. Her passion for drawing reignited my interest in it from when I was a kid. When I was little, I knew I wanted to grow up to be an artist (without seeming arrogant, I probably could have been), but, when everything fell apart, I completely forgot those dreams. Just like Louis, Sophie kept a very close eye on me when I first got to the school. In the evenings, after dinner, I would wander over to where she was sat, her brows furrowed in deep concentration as she finished her masterpiece. I told her I used to draw almost constantly as a kid, and right then and there, she told me to take a seat and to help myself to any of the pencils. My God, those first few drawings were rusty, but after time and a lot of encouragement from her, I got better. We would hold small competitions between ourselves to see who could draw a certain boarding school kid the most accurately. When we had both finished our drawings, everyone would gather around, and a collective silence would fall upon the school as everyone stood and gaped in awe. They were both so accurate, it stunned everyone.

Minnie, on the other hand... one minute we were the best of friends, and the next we were trying to kill each other. I suppose I was tough on her. Too tough. She could never handle killing walkers and that weakness angered me. I gave her a hard time about it, and, after a while, she snapped, attacked me. I remember it well: the fingernails digging into my face, the blood dribbling out of my mouth, the impact where my fist connected with her face, Violet dragging Minnie off me while Louis held me back... it was a mess. Louis heaved me by my shirt collar into the music room, Violet forcing Minnie to tag along behind. I remember being seated at the piano stool, Minnie marched to stand beside me, and Louis sternly instructing us to start playing until we both cooled off and felt like we could apologize.

I remember the wicked glare I received from Minnie's bruised face before I started plunking a few chords (courtesy of the fantastic, encouraging tuition from Louis), the sounds of the piano reverberating throughout the room. Eventually, her frown would soften, sinking into the melody of her singing. I felt myself relax into it too, and out of the corner of my eye I could see Violet and Louis exchange nods, both clearly proud that they got their girlfriends to stop fighting. At the end, we would exchange our apologies, but we both knew that it wouldn't be long before we got dragged back in there. We both cared about each other. We looked after one another because that was what survival was all about, but, on a personal level, it was hard to get along.

I miss those girls. I wish, instead of being brutal towards Minnie and her difficulties with killing walkers, that I had actually helped and shown her how to overcome her fear. Maybe they might have been able to fight them off instead of being torn to pieces. Maybe if I hadn't tripped over the day before and fucked my ankle, I might have been able to go with them instead of Brody. Then they definitely would have made it.

Shit. Violet blames Brody, but I blame myself. My carelessness the day before cost the lives of two very good friends. Two walkers I could have easily dealt with. _Easily_.

After hearing no response from within, I knock, more loudly, a second time on the door before twisting the handle and easing my way inside. I look on at our sleepy guests as the sunlight spills into the room, illuminating the dust dancing in the air. AJ is sleeping under the bed for some reason, and my entry wakens him, his eyes snapping open. It takes him a couple of moments to register that it's me before a bright smile lights up his face.

"Hey buddy," I whisper softly, a smile mirroring his growing on my face.

"Hi Alex," he whispers back, crawling out from underneath.

I look over to the opposite bed, where Clementine is fast asleep, unresponsive to the world. Her face looks soft and innocent, the usual stress, determination, and exhaustion absent from her delicate features. A few loose strands of hair are dangling over her closed eyes. Her eyebrows have knitted together slightly, as if she is threatening to stir. I hold my breath and wait, but she doesn't wake up. I let out a gentle sigh of relief. I feel a stupid grin stretch on my face as I listen to her gentle snoring and have to stifle a laugh as my eyes land on the dried path of drool out of the corner of her mouth. It's adorable. I yearn to brush to hair out of her face and greet her sleepy smile with a gentle kiss but think better of it. She would probably punch me in the eyes.

I look at the dresser and notice I left all my things behind last night, my book, the photographs... the camera. I feel a devious smirk play on my lips. I signal for AJ to stay quiet while I creep over to the dresser, stealthily scooping up my camera. I crouch down for a better angle, look down the lens and snap the shot, the flash disturbing Clem's slumber. The camera whirs and spits out the photo, which I examine proudly: Sleeping Clementine, in all her oblivious glory. AJ giggles as he peers at it over my shoulder. I glance at him briefly to see an amused expression, the little smile stirring up old memories from when he was a toddler.

I look up from the photograph to find her scowling at me, her head resting on her arm.

"Mornin'," I chirp, a good-humored grin plastered across my face. I feel a cool bead of sweat drip down my forehead.

 _Come on, Al, play it cool._

Slowly, she raises her other arm, and flips me off in response. I lift my camera up, and ask, "Another for old times' sake?" before snapping the second shot of me being flipped off. I place the photographs and the camera on the dresser.

"You're the worst. _Ever_." Of course she would say that. It's not the first time I've heard it, and I get a sneaking suspicion that it won't be the last.

"You don't mean that, Clem. I'm a delight and you know it," I joke. Her scowl softens into a sweet smile and I feel my heart flutter slightly. "Anyway, sorry about the photos and all that, I was just having a little fun. The reason I came down here: Marlon and I want to see you."

"About what?" she asks, sitting up and rubbing her eyes.

"Food," I reply as I stand up, the smirk falling. I nervously scratch my neck with a single forefinger. "Despite the meal we had last night, we're... running pretty short. We'll fill you in on everything soon. Meet in the headmaster's office, upstairs in the admin building, big double doors, you can't miss it. Okay?"

"Sure," Clem says with a nod.

"And, Clem?" I ask, stifling a yawn. I didn't sleep well last night. I couldn't stop thinking about her, the heavy thudding in my chest keeping me awake, just like back in New Frontier... Our lips were inches apart, we were _so close_. And then that little shitbird came in and spoiled it... I've got to think of a way where we can be alone. I stayed up all night, thinking and rehearsing what I want to say to Clem, to tell her how I feel. I'm not missing another chance, not this time. The first opportunity I get, I'm spilling my heart out to her. I've waited so long for this, and if anyone deserves to know how much I care, it's her.

"Yeah?"

"Drool."

As her face burns bright red, she hastily wipes the collection of dried saliva at the corner of her mouth. I laugh before leaving the room, wondering how the hell she got so damn cute over the last few years. As I close the door behind me, I notice that the fluttering in my chest hardens into something deeper, more powerful. Almost like my throat has started tingling. I yearn to burst back into the room and tell her exactly how I feel right this second, as if this day is my last and I'll never get another chance to do so. I want to rush in and kiss her all day. I want to tell her how beautiful she is every damn minute, because it's true. I want to spend hours listing all my favorite things about her. Her laugh, her smile, the way her hair falls on her face, the disgruntled scowl I receive whenever I've done something annoying, the scar on her left forearm, everything. I want to hold her close. I want to fall asleep beside her, playing with her hair until I drift off.

 _I love her._

* * *

 **Clementine**

As Alex shuts the door behind her, I feel a slight wave of sadness fall over me. I want her to come back. I climb off the bed, scoop up my hat, and hastily usher AJ out the door so I can catch Alex up. My ungraceful sprint through the dorms and into the courtyard allowed me to get to Alex, but at the cost of my dignity. As I burst out into the courtyard, my foot snags on the bottom corner of the semi-opened door, sending me sprawling onto the concrete. As I pick myself up, I hear the thudding of footsteps run up to me.

"Holy shit, Clem!" Alex cries. "Are you okay?" Without hesitation, she grabs me under my arms and drags me to my feet with ease. I turn around to face her, or rather, look up at her, and see her long hair dancing in the gentle breeze, untied.

"I'm fine, Al," I reply, rubbing my grazed hands.

"Are you sure?" she presses, concerned expression on her face. "That was one hell of a fall."

Without another word, she takes my hands in hers and examines them. As soon as I register the touch of her skin, I feel my breath catch in my lungs and my knees threaten to buckle beneath me.

"What are you-"

"Don't worry, Doctor Shepperd is on the case," she replies with a reassuring smile, scar stretching.

"Your last name is Shepperd?" I ask with way too much surprise in my voice. I suppose in this world, surnames don't matter as much, and often aren't a part of introductions. Once Alex warmed up to me back when we were in the New Frontier, she told me a lot about her life. Not everything, but enough. She never revealed her last name. I didn't reveal mine either, it was like an unwritten rule between us. A weird one, but a rule we had regardless.

"Uh-huh."

"Alex Shepperd?" I parrot back, the sound of the name simultaneously rolling off my tongue and clumsily stumbling off it. It's weird to think that all this time it was simply 'Alex'. Now it's 'Alex Shepperd', the ring of it disturbing the butterflies in my stomach.

"Yep."

"I thought you were supposed to be Swedish?"

An interesting fact about Alex: her family hails from Sweden, and it's an aspect of her life that she is so proud of. A fluent Swedish speaker, Alex grew up speaking it almost exclusively at home, but since her brother's death, her use has rapidly declined, only emerging during moments of extreme frustration, mostly cursing. One night, she had the bright idea of teaching me a few phrases, so if we ever got held up by an armed group, we could communicate with each other without anyone else knowing. Unfortunately, we were forced into a situation to test it, but it worked well. I don't think I'll have the heart to tell her that I forgot most of it, especially since she poured her heart into to teaching me various phrases, some combat-related, and others basic phrases, like how to introduce yourself. The more 'everyday' language lessons were a good way for us to wind down in the evenings, especially if something bad had happened that day.

She responds in Swedish, which I don't catch a word of. The sound of her switching to a different language is just... incredible. The sound of it fills me with awe, how someone could have such expert control over two languages amazes me. God, she's amazing.

"Oh, but I am," Alex repeats, this time in English. The grin on her face grows even more at what I assume to be a blank expression on mine. "American dad, remember?" Okay, I was wrong, maybe not _all_ her family. "Besides, my first name," Alex continues, the stupid grin on her face causing me to feel a little light-headed, " _that_ is a big giveaway of my Scandinavian roots. And I hate it so much that it will always remain a mystery, a secret I will take to the grave."

"Wait, Alexandra's _not_ your first name?"

"The lesser of two evils, Shorty," Alex replies with a wink before walking away. Damn her and her elusive nature! To express my frustration, I give her a lazy shove, which barely moves her. She stops, stares at me, before declaring, "Oh you asked for this!" She retaliates by scooping me up and heaving me over her shoulder, despite my shrieking protests. AJ giggles as he watches me flail helplessly while Alex carries me for a few paces, though I reserve one hand for holding my hat in place, which threatens to fall off. I notice the bandanna tucked into her back pocket, fluttering in the breeze. My demands that Alex puts me down ease into laughter as we all realize how ridiculous this all is. She places me down on the path, our large grins infectious and uncontrollable.

"You're unbelievable," I laugh, raising my eyebrows at Alex. She returns with a coy shrug but says nothing.

"That looks like fun," AJ observes, stepping up to Alex while nervously wringing hands. He still seems a little unsure of himself around Alex. I suppose 'confused' is more accurate for him. Last night, AJ admitted that he wasn't sure how to act around Alex, clearly aware that they have previously 'met', but since AJ has no memory of her whatsoever, he is a little uncertain around her. I told him that he should act like himself around Alex, before telling him that I trust her completely and that he has nothing to fear.

"I figured you would think so. You wanna give a try, little man?" Alex asks him softly, crouching down to his level. He nods excitedly and squeals with laughter as Alex picks the boy up, slings him over her shoulder, and carries him to the admin building with ease. While we walk, with her free arm, Alex gently holds me around my shoulder and pulls me in. I feel the heat flood my face as I realize what's going on. "Life is good, Clem," Alex declares, "now we're back to kick everyone's ass."

"Just like the old days," I chime in, my voice sounding small and squeaky. AJ's giggling still hasn't stopped. The little weirdo clearly enjoys being upside down!

" _Better_."

"Oh? Is that so?"

"Things won't pan out like last time. We're all staying together. I promise."

Alex's promises. I swear that girl will sacrifice her life if it meant honoring them. I suppose she did, by that riverside. Alex may not have been able to continue the journey with me, but her selfless sacrifice allowed me to find AJ. If anything, the loss gave me the strength to fight even harder. Grateful that she's here now, and ignoring the heavy thudding in my chest, I wrap my arm around her waist. She looks down and me and gives me an elated smile, the scar on her face twitching as she struggles to contain her excitement. Alex is just about to say something when AJ suddenly announces that he doesn't like being upside down anymore, and that he feels sick. We stop by the stairs that lead up to the admin building. As soon as Alex and I separate, she quickly gets AJ down. I notice she does gently so, as if he were made of glass. The feelings she had for him as a baby haven't faded over the years, and I feel my heart swell as I realize this. She would, without hesitation, lay down her life for him. She would protect him with her last breath if it meant he would be safe.

"Are you feeling okay, AJ?" she asks delicately, crouching down to his level.

"Yeah, I'm okay," he replies, taking a moment to steady himself. "Dizzy."

"You'll be okay in a minute or two. Just take it steady," Alex declares, giving him a soft pat on the shoulder before standing up. "This little guy's a fighter," she says to me, grin growing again. "You did good, Clem. Real good." She stares at her feet for a few seconds before looking up at me again. She pushes her glasses up her nose and clears her throat before speaking. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you."

"It's okay," I reply, stepping closer to her. "It wasn't your fault. That night, everything happened so fast, what could we have done?"

"Well, if we think it through," she says, rubbing her neck, "a lot of things, but-"

"-hindsight is twenty-twenty," I finish. A little phrase she always reminded me of whenever I felt responsible for someone's death. _That argument_ we had stirred up a lot of buried guilt, but Alex would stop at nothing to reassure me that it was never my fault, even if it meant staying up all night in order to convince me. One time, she stayed up for _three_ consecutive days because each night I had trouble shifting the guilt. She could barely function, but she did it to help me and I love her for it.

"Exactly. You're right." She smiles again, her eyes sparkling brightly behind the filthy film of grease on her glasses. "Hell, who's to say I would have survived if I went with you? No, wait, that came out wrong..." The scowl I gave her forces her to backpedal, looking at me guiltily. Her embarrassed reaction transitions into a more sombre one. "You oughta tell me what happened at some point. I wanna know."

"I will, but it's not a good story."

"Neither's mine, but you know I don't judge." She finishes her sentence with a simple shrug, as if to say, _We're in the same boat_.

"That's one of my favorite things about you," I return, enjoying Alex's shocked and flustered reaction to the compliment: her mouth drops open slightly and her eyes dart between various points around us, deliberately trying to avoid eye contact with me.

"Uh... thanks." She awkwardly pushes her glasses up her nose before turning away from me and heading inside. I chuckle internally at how forward Alex has become. She's much more confident compared to when we were in New Frontier. This behavior is certainly not what I would have expected from the dorky bookworm and, even though we both get embarrassed from it, I'm enjoying it. This is an Alex who is overjoyed to see me again, no doubt about that.

We enter the admin building, and Alex challenges AJ to a race up the stairs, which he accepts with an excited giggle. The pair hastily scramble up the stairs and I notice Alex deliberately lags behind, calling after AJ things like, "Oh no, AJ, you're just too fast for me!" and "I'm old, go easy on me." As I reach the final stretch of stairs, AJ stands at the top triumphantly, Alex sat on the top stair, feigning exhaustion.

"Next time, little guy," Alex says, fake-panting, "I'll win."

AJ laughs and says, "No you won't!"

"Hmm," Alex returns, stroking her chin, "maybe you're right, maybe you're not, we'll see." She gives me a sneaky wink and I feel the heat return to my face. AJ turns and bursts into the headmaster's office alone, leaving Alex alone on the stair. She shuffles on it as she glances away from me, and grabs at the ring around her neck. The silence floods my ears, the occasional sound of the building creaking resonating around us.

"Is everything okay, Alex?" I ask softly, climbing up the last few stairs and joining her, our shoulders touching. She sighs deeply in response. "Come on, Alex, you can talk to me."

"Well," she starts, taking off her glasses and rubbing her eyes, "I figured I could keep bottled up about my emotions and not do or say anything, but that would only be to protect myself, to stop _me_ from getting hurt." She studies her glasses as she talks but doesn't put them back on. I decide to not interrupt her and let her speak. "In a way, I did that before, and I've spent years wondering what could have been."

"What are you saying?" I ask nervously, her vagueness piquing my interest.

"What I'm saying is that I missed a major opportunity years ago, and I could be a little bitch about it and stay quiet, or, fuck it, may as well say something."

" _Alex_ ," I press, her evasive nature irritating me slightly. I know what she's going to say. I _need_ to hear it! My mouth dries out in apprehension and I watch her continue to stare at her glasses. She takes the bottom of her shirt and rubs one lens, then the other, in an attempt to clean them, before holding them up to the light and inspecting them. The lengthy pause, waiting for Alex to speak again, is sheer agony. Alex puts her glasses back on and faces me, her eyes locked onto mine, unwavering. Deep blue, sparkling, dark bags under her eyes, a small smile growing on her face, stretching the relatively new, raw-pink scar across her lips.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is, and I guess that this won't come as a total shocker, but I really, really, stupidly, ridiculously, frickin' have-lost-sleep-over-it-and-don't-know-what-to-do-with myself _like_ you and I-"

Alex doesn't get to finish her sentence because of a sudden yell from the headmaster's office, which causes both our heads to snap towards the sound. We both spring to our feet, and I hear her mutter, "For fuck's sake" before bursting into the office. We find Tenn and AJ on the floor, fighting over a small toy. AJ clings onto it possessively, ignoring the other boy's cries and pleads to give it back.

"Boys! Break it up!" Alex cries, lifting Tennessee away from AJ while prompting me to do the same with AJ. I grab AJ's shoulder and ease him away. "What the hell is goin' on here?"

"He took my policeman," Tenn protests, looking up at Alex for support.

"AJ," she says, moving over towards him and crouching down, "I understand that when you're on the road, it's a free-for-all and you have to take whatever you can find. I get that, I was in that position too, but you need to realize that when you're in a community, it's different, and things belong to people. Books, instruments, toys, you can't just go around taking other people's things, okay? Now be a good man and give the policeman back to Tenn, alright?"

AJ's brow furrows as he thinks through what Alex just told him, before nodding and handing the toy back to Tenn. She straightens up and looks at me with a smug smirk on her face.

"How did you...?" I utter, unable to process how easily she convinced AJ, how well she explained it to him.

"Let's just say I'm kind of the peacekeeper around here... for the most part. I've been in a lot of fights, sure, but I've broken up a lot too. It's a gift." She brushes the loose strands of hair out of her face. "Tenn, could you do me a favor and go find Marlon for me?"

"Sure thing, Alex," he says with a gentle smile, appreciative of what she did for him. He gets up and leaves the office, the door creaking shut behind him.

"Jackass says we should meet here and is then nowhere to be found. Typical," Alex says with a laugh, moving over to the desk and perching on the edge. I laugh with her and we both drift off, but not awkwardly. We both know that we're thinking of the same thing.

 _Really, really, stupidly, ridiculously, frickin' have-lost-sleep-over-it-and-don't-know-what-to-do-with-myself_...

Her face shimmers with happiness, the nervous energy that built up inside her over the half-a-day of finding each other rapidly fading. She folds her arms and watches AJ as he studies his surroundings, unsure of what to make of this place. I try to occupy myself in looking around too, but I can't keep my eyes off her. _She likes me_ is a thought that keeps cycling in my head, and I feel my stomach fluttering in disbelief. I watch her as she licks her lips and starts tracing along her scar with an index finger, her gaze seemingly miles away, lost in thought. Her absent gaze drifts towards me, moves away and then flicks back. A smile plays on her lips as I realize that I've been caught out. She emits a soft chuckle, her stupid smile brightening the room.

"Look!" AJ cries, before running to a dresser behind me.

"Hey, what d'you find?" I ask, spinning on my heel.

"It's a picture. Of Marlon and Louis." I wander over to inspect the photo AJ holds proudly. There they are: the pair as small children in Ericson's soccer uniforms, both boys grinning from ear-to-ear.

"These guys have known each other for years," Alex chimes up from her seat on the desk. "If anything, I'm the outsider here."

I turn around and ask, "Even now?"

"Naah," she replies with a dismissive wave of her hand, "these guys are my weird little fucked-up family, y'know? Like the irritating relatives that you're stuck with and have no say in the matter. Not the kind of family where you choose someone and build something with them." Her cheeks color slightly as she says this, which causes me to melt at the cute reaction. I know she's talking about me and AJ, and I realize at this moment that she's referring to our time in the New Frontier. She always liked me, I knew it. "Besides, I reckon Louis and Marlon can't even remember a time when they didn't know each other. Not the case with my impromptu arrival. Hell, there was even a time where I was referred to as _girl-Alex_ because there was an Alexander too. I miss him, he was a cool dude."

Before I can respond, a soft bump comes from the door Tenn passed through. It didn't close properly. There's another bump as the door opens slightly and groans.

 _What the?_

"Marlon?" I call out uncertainly. In response, the doors get shoved open by...

 _Rosie_.

The powerhouse of muscle starts snarling as she spies myself and AJ. My legs threaten to give way beneath me as my throat dries up. A knot forms in the center of my chest, pulling tighter and tighter until I can barely breathe. Keeping AJ behind me, I back up slowly. As soon as she realizes what's happening, Alex springs off the desk and stands between myself and the canine.

"Hey, hey, hey!" she yells. "Rosie, that's enough!" She whistles sharply before commanding, "Sit!" Although reluctant to do so, she sits. "Good girl," Alex says softly, giving Rosie a quick scratch on the head, causing her to whine. "Stay," she orders the dog, before approaching me. "Jesus Christ, are you okay, Clementine?"

"I'm... fine," I say shakily, the knot in my chest refusing to loosen.

"If you say so. Just take it easy," she says understandingly, before easing me into a soft hug, the sharp smell of cigarette smoke still clinging to her clothes. I feel her rub my back and I find it reassuring. A small whine from Rosie distracts Alex, and we pull away from the hug. She looks at the opened door.

"Marlon?" she calls out to the hallway. "Where you at?" She turns to me, face like thunder. "I'm going to kick his ass. You said you have issues with dogs, and he's gone and fuckin' ignored it." Alex shouts his name again, this time louder, and Marlon comes bursting into the office.

"What do you want, Alex?" he grumbles, before realizing that I'm here. His scowl immediately vanishes. He knows he fucked up. Alex looks at me, the vexed expression replaced with one of disappointment. Seems like she's thought twice about ripping him a new one, luckily for him. Alex's anger was borderline nightmare fuel before. God knows what she's capable of now.

"Clementine said that she has problems with dogs and you're letting Rosie wander around on her own." Alex looks up at him, calmly explaining the situation. "Well, I say problems, she's fuckin' terrified of them. That's not smart, and that's not fair, man."

"Shit, I- I didn't realize it was that bad. I'm sorry." Marlon rubs his neck and flicks his eyebrows apologetically at me.

I stare at the dog, not moving a muscle, my breathing quick and shallow.

"Honestly," Alex says, returning to her spot on the desk, "I think this is something we can work on. Rosie's not that scary once you get to know her."

"Alex is right," Marlon nods. Gesturing as he speaks, he says "Hand on heart, Rosie's not as frightening as she seems." Marlon looks at Rosie, raises an eyebrow and asks, "Alex, did you get Rosie to sit?" The brunette nods the affirmative. "See? Harmless."

"Rosie wasn't too sure about me when I first got here either," Alex adds, "but as you saw, she listens to me too. She always sulks about it if I tell her to do anything, especially since Marlon's her favorite, but she'll still do it."

"Exactly," Marlon says. "She just needs to get to know you, is all." He extends a calloused hand towards me and asks, "Do you trust me?" I look up at his partially-shaven face, tufts of fluff sticking out of his chin. He watches me patiently, as I think this through. My scar tingles as I stare at Rosie, who lets out a couple of boomy barks. I flinch. Her master hushes her. "If you don't trust me," Marlon says delicately, "then trust Alex."

I look over to the dork, still sat on the desk, arms folded. She offers me a warm smile and a thumbs-up. I turn back to Marlon.

"Okay," I say, placing my hand in his. Marlon takes me by the wrist and guides me towards Rosie's short snout, her yellow eyes burning into mine.

"Get down on her level," he instructs me. "Let her get your scent."

Her cold nose sends chills down my spine as she sniffs my hand, my scar now burning. Time stands still. Blood rushes in my ears, deafening me. Then I feel the warm tongue across my knuckles, and my vision almost fades into nothing as I struggle to stay conscious. I let out the breath I had been holding the entire time and start breathing again, although shakily.

"Nicely done, Clem!" Alex praises me from the desk. I muster a weak smile at her, my lips trembling uncontrollably.

"Now," Marlon continues, "whistle and tell her to lie down."

I do as Marlon says, and Rosie picks herself up and settles on the mattress on the other side of the room without the reluctance she displayed with Alex.

"What the hell?" Alex yelps. "Rosie always whines whenever I do that!"

"Maybe I'm just better with dogs than you are," I joke.

"Goddammit." I snort at Alex's scowl, clearly annoyed about Rosie's protest-free behavior.

"Feeling better now?" Marlon asks.

"Yeah, much better," I reply.

"She was the headmaster's dog, back when this place was still functional. But when the world went to shit, he bailed. All the other adults did. Left us behind to fend for ourselves." I catch his gaze at the large portrait above the fireplace, and old, fat man with a moustache and gray hair. He has glasses drawn on and a speech bubble that says, 'I'm not wearing pants'. There are also some slits in the portrait in various places, most of them focused on his forehead, almost as if someone tried to cut to picture.

"Wow, what a dick," I declare. Within less than a second of me finishing my sentence, a quick whistling sound, followed by a hollow _thud_ fills the sound. In the time it's taken me to blink, the headmaster's portrait has grown a knife right between his eyes.

 _Woah. Good shot._

"Alex," Marlon scolds, "you know you're not supposed to throw knives around."

"I know," she replies, not caring. I feel a humored smile play on my lips. Acting up and not giving a shit, that was never an issue before. I guess Alex has really figured herself out, and being amid a group of troubled kids, their mannerisms would rub off on her. No doubt the military-inspired discipline of the New Frontier has long disappeared.

"Well, you should stop."

"Well, I'm not gonna." She lifts herself from the desk and reaches up to the knife's handle. She pries it out of the portrait, examines it, and sheathes it. "The dude's a prick. He's lucky it's the portrait and not actually him. Y'all deserved better than this." She wanders back over to us instead of returning to the desk.

"Anyway," Marlon interrupts, slightly annoyed at Alex's target practice, "we were talking last night, and Alex thinks it would be best if you and AJ stayed. I have to say that I agree with her."

"For real?" I ask. Alex nods at me, evidently proud of her persuasive powers.

"Of course. Alex and I always make the main decisions together." Marlon places a hand on her shoulder. "I suppose you could say she's my second-in-command. I know the kids, she knows the outside world. She's sharp, capable, a 'natural born leader' was what Brody called you after your first hunting trip."

"Tell me something I _don't_ know," I say with a chuckle. "There have been plenty of times Alex has taken over a small group from their less-than-competent leader." Jason immediately springs to mind. I wonder what happened to him. After he abandoned us at the supermarket, we never found him again.

"Years on the road, gotta have something to show for it," Alex replies modestly, pushing up her glasses and shuffling on the spot.

"Well, you earned your place," Marlon claims, smiling like a proud parent, "and I reckon you two will as well."

He brings all four of us towards a large paper map, hand drawn, on the desk. It's of the school grounds, the middle of the map to the right edge being mostly green pencil, representing the woods. A blue line traces its way to the bottom corner: the river. The patch of green is bordered by two sets of dotted red lines, titled 'Safe Zone'. Towards the large body of water to the far left of the map, in large letters, is 'FUCKING DON'T GO HERE'.

"So," Alex starts, "who have you got lined up to head out today?"

"Violet and Brody are going fishing," he answers, tracing his finger along the river on the map. "I need one of you two go with them, and I'm going to assume that Clementine will."

"Why me?" I challenge, raising an eyebrow.

Alex rubs her neck and answers. "I... kind of have this thing about water... y'know, nearly drowning and all..."

"Of course," I respond, slapping my forehead. Years spent believing Alex had drowned, and yet I didn't stop to consider the trauma that night had caused her. "I didn't think, sorry."

"Don't worry about it. Who's hunting today?"

Marlon hesitates before speaking. "Aasim and... Louis."

"Jävla helvete..." _Fucking hell_ , if I remember correctly. She straightens up, places her hands on her hips and shakes her head. "Louis is really gonna piss Aasim off. The pair have been bickering for a while now, it's only a matter of time until it blows up."

"Which is why I need you there to intervene if something does happen," he says sternly. "Louis hasn't turned up the last few times and Aasim's been losing his patience."

"Does he know I'm going?"

"Lou?"

"Yeah."

"He does."

"Then he'll be there. He knows I'll kick his ass if he doesn't show up."

"And go easy on Aasim too. You've been giving him a rough time recently."

"Yeah, I know. I'll talk to him, iron things out before we go."

"Good. And one more thing, Clem. See these red lines?" He points at them as he speaks.

"Yeah," I answer.

"So, everything inside is the safe zone. It's been getting smaller over the years, and food's become more scarce."

"So, why not go outside it?" I ask, folding my arms. I mean, if an area has dried up, you have to move elsewhere. It's not like food will magically appear there again overnight. Marlon's face drops as soon as he registers my question.

"Oh boy..." Alex mutters from beside me, knowing full well what's to follow. Something tells me she's heard him lecture before. Marlon's face screws up as he explains why: people die. As he talks, his voice cracks, and I swear for a moment tears form in his eyes, before he blinks, and they disappear. He looks like a defenceless child while he speaks, reliving the moments of helplessness as he failed to save his friends.

"Well, I think we've got this, Marlon," Alex whispers quietly. "I think we should get movin' now." She takes me by the hand and leads me out the office. I note the heat seeping out of her skin, as if she's some human heater.

"Alex?" he calls after her.

"Yeah?"

"Look after them."

"With my life."

* * *

 **Alex**

As I escort Clementine out of the office, little AJ tagging along behind, I think about the task ahead. Keeping Louis focused while calming Aasim down, that'll be a challenge.

"Look at you," she says admiringly, "being a leader and all."

"Co-leader," I correct, rolling my eyes. "And what of it? I just help out where I can."

"Are things really that bad between Louis and Aasim though?" Clem asks me, cocking her head.

"Not as bad as Violet and Brody," I reply. "You've definitely got your work cut out for you."

"How come?"

"Put it this way; if they start fighting, you're not gonna be able to break it up. Besides, Violet's right hook..." I shudder. I got into a lot of fights in my first few weeks at Ericson's: Violet's punch made me see stars for the rest of the day. We continue down the stairs, but I decide that I want to speak to Clementine alone, without AJ. I hang back and subtly stop Clem from going any further by clutching the sleeve of her jacket.

"AJ, could you help me out?" I ask, gazing down at the kid.

"Sure," he responds enthusiastically.

"Could you go outside and check that Violet, Brody, Aasim, and Louis are ready? And then stay with them until we come out?"

"Okay!" he chirps before dashing outside, going as fast as his little legs can carry him. Before the door has the chance to close behind him, I link my fingers between Clementine's and we duck into the dingy corridor to our right, the end of which has been blocked up by a large pile of debris.

"Look," I say urgently, "I just want to clear up what I said earlier. I realize that it's pretty forward and really fucking fast, but I couldn't keep quiet about it. I honestly couldn't. Not this time. I just... I just..." I find myself choking up. I've gone too deep this time. What I've said I can't take back and it's too much to handle. I feel like I could throw up any second. She gently places a finger on my lips, silencing me, her touch draining all the heat out of my body.

"You know, I really like you too," Clem says soothingly. "I guess I always did, and I spent a lot of time thinking, _over-thinking_ , about all the memories we shared after I lost you. I suppose, once I met Gabe..." Her eyes cloud over for a split second. I don't question who Gabe is, but I have a feeling it's _that boy_. "I realized they were the same feelings but at the time, New Frontier, I didn't know. I mean, girls liking girls, I've never known anything like that before."

"Is that your excuse for being in denial?" I ask with a smirk.

"No!" she protests, nudging my shoulder. "I honestly didn't realize until it was too late."

"'Too late' suggests that I'm gone for good, but I'm here now," I murmur, moving closer to her. "And I'm not going anywhere, if I can help it."

With a free hand, I play with the strands of hair that hang over her face, twirling them with my fingers. I feel her body tense as my fingers drift from her hair to her face, delicately tracing her jawline, my skin barely making contact. Clem's mouth opens slightly as soon as I touch her. I find myself biting my lip, my eyes locked onto hers. My gaze drifts to her lips, then back to her eyes again. Her hand traces its way up my arm, and she slides her fingers between mine, moving my hand away from her hair. She presses her body into mine, backing me against the wall. Despite the poor lighting, her gorgeous eyes shimmer, catching the few strings of daylight seeping through the broken windows. I'm painfully aware of how dry my lips are, and gingerly run my tongue along them, hoping to restore some moisture. I swear that I can hear our hearts beating: quick and loud. Clementine reaches up to me and scoops a bunch of hair out of my face, sliding it behind my ear. In a fluid motion, I grip the peak of her cap and remove it from her head, before holding it at my side. The case of hat-hair forces a smile to flicker across my lips. She reaches down for the cap, eases it out of my fingers, and allows it to drift onto the floor. I swallow hard, trying to force the lump out of my throat, before speaking.

"You're beautiful," I utter hoarsely, unable to tear my gaze from her lips.

I can't resist any longer. Before she even has the chance to react to my compliment, I close my eyes and press my parted lips against hers. She freezes for a split second, before melting into my body, emitting a small moan that makes my head spin and my heart explode. The softness of her lips makes me incredibly self-conscious of the dryness of mine. Before I can withdraw to quickly lick them again, Clementine wraps her arms around my neck, pulling me in for more, her nose digging into my cheek. I place my arms around her slender body, kissing her again. She moves her lips for a third time, slowing the pace down until we're still. Clem pulls away from me, her breathing short and shallow. The warmth and taste of her lingers on my lips, and they twitch into a grin. She mirrors my smile.

"So... have we cleared things up?" I ask softly. She chuckles, the melodic sound of her laugh singing in my brain. "Come on, we've got food to gather." I scoop up Clementine's hat and place it on her head. She briefly readjusts it and departs without another word. I exhale deeply, unable to process what the hell just happened. I blink a few times before heading outside, tying my hair up as I walk along.

* * *

 **Oooooh, we made it guys! Not going to lie, that final bit was hella hard to write... never done anything like that before, so that was a first for me.**

 **If you enjoyed, let me know your thoughts by dropping a review. If you're new here, feel free to say hello too! Hell, even if you're rereading and find a small detail or moment that you like, let me know!**

 **Make sure you follow the story so you can receive a notification when it updates! I've been trying to increase traffic for this story by dropping links on other sites (with little success... as far as I'm aware). Let's see if we can get this story to spread far, share with your friends, pets, house plants, anybody. Let's get this out there!**

 **Until next time,**

 **~Subtle.**


	8. Always

**First of all, I am so, so, SO sorry it's taken so long to update this. I've been super busy with large projects, exams, and other little things that need to be sorted, and I just haven't had the time to write. It's been driving me mental, especially since I've been buzzing to get back to this story for ages.  
**

 **It's been nearly two months since Take Us Back released, and my god what a ride. I've never cried so hard or so long in my life. I was basically dehydrated by the time the credits rolled. And now I have this entire story planned out, ending and everything, but I'm feeling like this one shouldn't be left on a cheery note... I mean, uh, I said nothing. Hush.**

 **This story is at 34 favourites and 39 follows. I'm sorry, but HOLY SHIT. That is INCREDIBLE, thank you so, so much!**

 **Now, the review replies:**

 **Jestalnaker94000: Again, thank you so much for your continued support! And I did check the story out as soon as you posted the review, and it's awesome! Thank you so much for your recommendation! (And I think the rest of you should check it out too ;))  
**

 **Secret Life of Writing: I'm glad you liked it! And yeah, considering AJ sticks with Clementine like a little puppy, Alex had to improvise, haha. And I'm glad, like I said, was pretty hard to write, but I'm happy it worked. And now, you get to find out what happens!  
**

 **Guest2527: I'm glad I got you into a genre you're not a big fan of! I try to include more 'screentime' with some of the other characters, especially since some got so little in the game, and I feel it's crucial to give everyone an idea of how long Alex has been at Ericson's, by showing how well she gets along with the other kids.  
**

 **'Update' Guest: it's been a while, I apologise deeply for it, but here we finally are, an update!**

 **ScGonzaga: I personally prefer Alextine, but only because it's easier to say! And a reaction review, this certainly gave me a good chuckle, I'm glad you enjoyed!  
**

 **Colors56: Ooh, it did, and we've got more! Thank you for your kind words!**

 **'Bless' Guest: you have been blessed.**

 **So this is the part where I vanish again. I am so sorry this took so long, and I really hope this was worth the wait.**

* * *

 **Alex**

Bundling my dangerously long hair together, I slip the hairband from around my wrist to secure the bunch together effortlessly. I release the bun, feeling it bounce against the back of my neck. I really ought to cut it, but I haven't been able to find a pair of scissors for a very long time. I could use a knife, but knowing my luck, I'll slip and slice my neck open. Maybe I could get someone to help me out? I can only get away with having my hair this length, even tied up, for so long.

My eyes dart upward from the ground, landing immediately on Clementine, talking to the others, AJ eagerly bouncing by her side.

I smile to myself as I watch her, taking in all her movements, her hand gestures, the way she sways on the spot, where she can't stand perfectly still. The soft breeze plays with the loose strands of hair emerging from her old, worn cap. Louis says something, most likely a crappy joke, and she turns up her cute nose in response, before letting out a light laugh that makes my heart skip a beat. I feel my tongue trace along my bottom lip, the taste her of faintly dancing along my cracked skin.

 _God, I can't believe I kissed her. And she let me. And she didn't stab me. Yet. I just can't believe I slammed that kiss like a smooth criminal. Makes me wonder why I spent all that time_ _worrying_. _Oh yeah, I'm not psychic._

As I step closer, the bemused smirks from everyone is a strong indicator that they think they know what's going on. But I'm not going to give them the satisfaction of letting them know they're correct.

"What?" I ask irritably, playing innocent, as I approach Violet, Brody, Aasim, Louis, Clementine, and AJ, who are all gathered together in the center of the courtyard. I feel the four pairs of boarding school kid eyes burning into my skin. "You all ready to go or are you all just going to keep staring at me?"

"Oh, we're ready," Brody says playfully. "We were just wondering when you two lovebirds were gonna come out."

Clementine's cheeks flush slightly as soon as she registers Brody's statement, and she looks at me, eyebrows knitted apologetically.

"Oh no," I groan to Clem, shaking my head, "you didn't..."

"Kiss and tell? Not exactly, but it was written all over her face," Violet says with a wry smile. "Guess you must have left an impression."

Clem and I exchange glances again, her face as red as mine feels, the prominent heat prickling across my cheeks.

"They took my silence as a confession," Clementine claims, giving my arm a brief squeeze.

"And _then_ she told us," Louis chirps, his voice cracking slightly, his shit-eating grin forced.

I snort. "You all suck ass."

A chorus of laughter fills the air, echoing slightly. My gaze briefly flicks to Louis as his sniggering dies down, the usual glimmer gone from his eyes. He catches my gaze and musters a weak smile, but we both know it's not fooling me. His shoulders are sagging, Chairles almost sliding off one of them. He holds his preferred weapon with a listless grip. Louis' bottom lip trembles and his eyes well up slightly. I watch the school's jester shrink into himself, and it's clear to me that he doesn't know what to make of this situation. I feel my heart sink; this is going to suck so much for him.

 _Fuck_.

I guess it's time to get to the business at hand. Anything to drag the topic away from myself and Clementine.

"Alright guys, here's what's happening," I announce, threading my thumbs through the belt loops on my jeans. "Hunting traps need to be checked, and I'm going with Louis and Aasim to do that. That leaves the fishing to the girls, Clementine and AJ will be joining you." I produce the bandanna from my back pocket and fasten it around my neck as I speak. "Vi, Brody, I expect you to be on your best behavior. I get there's tension between you two. I understand why, and I get that Violet isn't willing to resolve it-" As I tie the knot, Violet glares at me, her emerald eyes piercing into my skull - "that's her choice, fine, but if I find that this is getting in the way of important tasks, then the three of us are going to go to one side and have a little talk. Understood?" I finish menacingly.

A little while back, things got so heated between the two that they came back empty-handed. That was a difficult evening for everyone. I didn't eat that night, but I made sure Tenn and Willy did. Louis shared his miniscule portion with me, but I effectively let him eat the whole thing. I would often distract him, so he didn't realize I wasn't eating, and once he figured out what I did, he was not impressed. I'm definitely not letting something like that happen again, especially since we're struggling for food as it is.

"Understood," the pair say, Violet grumbling, Brody nodding affirmatively. Violet folds her arms and slouches, shrinking to the size of Clementine, and angles her body away from Brody. Disapprovingly, I shake my head.

"I'm serious guys, we need to talk this out at some point." I push my glasses up my nose so they're positioned comfortably, before scratching along my jaw, the bandanna tickling my skin.

"Like fuck we do," Violet mutters uncooperatively, scowl deepening. I look over to Louis for support, who shrugs apologetically. Brody and Violet used to be so close until Sophie and Minnie died. Since that day, Violet has resented her, and blames her for not doing anything to stop them. It tears Brody up, leaving Marlon to pick up the pieces.

I give out a heavy sigh before pleading, "Oh come Vi, don't do this to me." She folds into herself more, unwilling to discuss the matter any further. "Fuck me, I'm too sober to deal with this shit," I grumble to myself, nudging my glasses upwards so I can pinch the bridge of my nose. Brody's head snaps at me, worry etched across her face. _Shit, I did not mean to say that..._

"Alex, you better not be drinking again!" she yells, brow furrowed in annoyance, arms folded skeptically.

"What? No!" I cry defensively. "I've been clean for ages!"

"If Marlon finds out-"

"There's nothing _to find out_ ," Violet intervenes, her voice cold. "She says she's clean, then she's clean, got it?" Violet steps forward, standing between myself and Brody.

Brody glares at her, her face burning with fury. I shoot a glance over to Clementine, looking unsure of this dysfunctional group dynamic. She cocks her head at me as if to say _Are you sure this is a good plan?_ which sparks an idea.

"Alright, that's enough guys," I say, raising my hands to silence everyone, "clearly these teams aren't going to work. Change of plan: Louis, Violet, Clem, and AJ, you're fishing." Louis raises a hand to protest, but before he can speak, I say, "I know you're no fisherman, but Violet can show you the ropes. Besides, it'll be mostly checking the traps. You'll be fine. Clementine doesn't know what she's doing either."

"Hey!" Clem yelps, giving me a disapproving shove. She flashes a bright, infectious smile at me, which I can't help but return.

"Well, do you?"

"... no."

"Well, there we go," I chuckle as I break into a smile. Louis offers me an appreciative flick of his eyebrows but says nothing. "So that means Brody and Aasim are coming with me to check the hunting traps. Everyone geared up?" Everyone nods, Louis brandishing Chairles in response. "Good, let's get going guys."

* * *

 **Clementine**

As the four of us press on to the fishing shack, I notice that Louis is rather... quiet, as if preoccupied, his brow furrowed, deep in thought. The way Violet keeps glancing up at him suggests that something isn't right either. She takes a moment to check whether he is okay, and Louis insists that he is fine. Violet arches an eyebrow at him, unconvinced.

Brody's comment about Alex drinking bothers me; the others clearly know something I don't about her, and it sounded like it has caused a lot of issues in the past. I feel like I should ask her myself, but the depressing silence between us is getting to me.

"What was that all about back at the school? Between Alex and Brody?" I ask.

"What was what?" Violet asks, my sudden question, and the abrupt introduction of sound, startling her.

I rub my neck awkwardly as I add, "Y'know, the whole Alex-drinking thing?"

Louis and Violet exchange uncertain looks between each other.

"Do you think we should let Alex tell her or...?"

"Won't she get mad?"

"I know she won't, it's not exactly a secret around the school," Louis finishes with a soft sigh.

"Still, don't you think that's unfair on her?" Violet asks, brushing hair out of her face, before folding her arms again. "Don't you think Clem should find out from Alex instead of us?"

"Brody didn't seem to think of that, did she?" The disapproving look from Violet changes Louis' mind. "But I guess you're right." Louis turns to me with a gentle smile. "Ask Alex, she'd appreciate telling you herself."

"I figured it's alcoholism," I declare, rubbing my eyes, "I just want to know how bad it is." Violet shoots a concerned look at Louis before quickening her pace, AJ sprinting to catch up to her.

 _"Was,"_ he corrects me. "She's been sober for a while, but it got pretty bad," Louis admits, looking ahead as we walk.

"How long is 'a while?'"

"Let's see..." he begins, stroking his chin. "The last blackout she had was shortly after... _we lost Sophie and Minnie_ ," he drops to a whisper, staying out of earshot of Violet, who is a few paces ahead, AJ trotting alongside her. "So, I guess, about a year now? I don't know if you've been around her long enough to notice this, but she can't deal with grief, _at all_."

"No?" When we were in the New Frontier, it was just me, Alex, and AJ as a small 'family unit'. None of us were particularly attached to anyone else at the camp, and I wasn't with Alex for long enough after AJ was taken from us to see when and how her coping mechanisms kicked in, so this revelation comes as a shock to me. I always figured, emotionally, she was rock-hard, almost unfeeling when the dark shadow of hardship hit. Clearly, that's not the case. _Poor Alex_.

"Nope. Whenever we lost anyone, she would go missing for days at a time, come back with a few bottles of spirits, shut herself in her room and drink until she passed out. The amount of times I found her like that..." he sighs again, shaking his head, his dreadlocks following his movement. "Then she'd spend the half of the next day unable to function because of how hungover she was, then the next half wandering around the classrooms, one minute crying, the next throwing a desk across the room."

"Explosive anger... that hasn't changed," I add miserably.

"Tell me about it," Louis adds with a dry smirk, "the number of times I had to pull her off someone! You know she decked Mitch once?"

"For real?!" I squeak. To think that the stocky tower of muscle had been knocked on his ass by Alex, who, at least now, stood only slightly shorter than him.

Nodding, he continues: "Though Violet once took her out with a single punch. Remember that, Vi?"

"What?" she groans, spinning around and walking backwards.

"When you practically knocked out Alex?"

A smile plays on Violet's lips as she answers: "She was asking for it."

"And then they were best friends forever!" Louis chuckles, only to be flipped off by Violet in response. "She had a rough time settling in, but she's happy now. In fact, now that you're here, I don't think I've ever seen her this happy before."

Flustered, I mumble, "You're just saying that."

"I'm really not," Louis replies softly. "I don't think I've ever seen her smile that brightly, ever. I can tell your sudden reappearance is the best thing that's ever happened to her." Unsure of how to respond, I shrug self-consciously and mutter something about how I can't be the best thing that's ever happened to her. "I'll give you one piece of advice: when Alex falls, she falls hard. Just... don't hurt her."

"Did someone hurt her before?" I ask gently. Louis doesn't answer, his jaw set and his eyes stony.

"... I got her stabbed." _Wait, Louis?!_ _They were together?!_ "She trusted me to have her back and I let her down." I fight with every fiber of my being to not look or act surprised or shocked, and I'm not sure how good a job I'm doing. The conversation drifts off into an awkward silence, and we continue walking to the fishing shack. And the entire time were walking, I can't shake the thought of the two of them together. All that time I was convinced she was dead, all the time I was grieving over Gabe's death, they were together... happy... and I feel kind of weird about it. Holding each other, laughing, kissing, a very, very close bond.

It makes me feel kind of sick, knowing that amid my misery and loneliness, I was out of her mind.

* * *

 **Alex**

"Aasim! Hold up a sec!"

"What is it, Alex?" he asks, spinning on his heel as he walks, bow in hand. He had wandered ahead slightly as Brody began to playfully probe into my new-found relationship with Clementine, gushing on about how happy she was for us. I jog lightly to catch up with Aasim, abandoning Brody for a few seconds.

"About yesterday..." I begin, tugging at my bandanna, "I was really shitty towards you, and that wasn't fair. I'm sorry, dude."

"Don't worry about it," he offers warmly. "You were right, I need to lighten up a little."

"Naah," I emit with a solid shake of my head, "I'm just a hot-headed idiot who needs to ease up on everyone." The headshaking forced my glasses to slide down my nose, so I push them back up.

"Your heart's in the right place though, that's all that counts."

"I'd say the same for you. Things are getting pretty desperate; I understand your frustration. I'm pissed off about it all too."

"So, you'll help me convince Marlon about expanding?" he asks brightly, hopefully.

"We'll all need to come together to show him we're not happy with the way things are before he'll do anything, but we'll figure something out." Aasim nods in agreement but says nothing. "I mean, you could set his mullet on fire?" I suggest with a loud laugh. He rolls his eyes, laughing alongside me.

"I haven't done that shit in years, Alex, and I don't intend to restart again." Bashfully, he rubs his neck as he walks beside me.

"You were literally about to be sent home, weren't you?" Indeed, Aasim was shipped to the school for being an uncontrollable pyromaniac. As soon as his psyche evaluations were saying that he was 'cured', arrangements were made for him to go home. He never got the chance though.

"Yeah. In a weird way, I'm kind of glad everything fell to shit before I did. Probably wouldn't have lasted this long back home."

"I hear that. You're all lucky you were out here when everything crumbled. I'm amazed I was able to get out of Nashville at all when it started. It was chaos."

"A city of that size, I can't even begin to imagine that was like," Aasim mused, using his free hand to pull at his soul patch; his pride and joy.

Out of Louis, Marlon and Mitch, the older boys, Aasim was the only one who could sport any kind of decent facial hair. Marlon and Mitch's always grew out patchy, and Louis religiously shaved to avoid the embarrassment of a pathetic beard attempt. When Louis quickly figured out that I snuck outside what used to be a much larger safe zone, he begged me for shaving supplies. _Begged_. At the age of fifteen, the embarrassment of post-pubescent fluff was getting to him, his desperate pleas for the supplies tearful. I haven't been able to grab anything for him... since we broke up... and I'm noticing the occasional nick cropping up on his freckled face here and there, no doubt from blunt blades.

Christ, I can't shake that feeling of guilt. Getting with Clementine so fast, it has to be absolute torture for him. But... it's not like it's a rebound or anything like that... we've been apart for a while and... I just don't even know anymore. Nothing's ever straightforward for me, is it?

"It was... something..." I drift off, trying hard to forget the events of mine and Markus' escape. The cries, sirens, snarls, the smell of blood, decaying and fresh... hell on earth. Trying to forget all that on top of the shame eating away at me. Poor, poor Louis, he doesn't deserve this.

"Alex, you okay?" Aasim asks, cocking his head to one side. "You've been, I don't know, kinda down since this morning? Is everything okay?"

I sense Brody catch up, but I figure now would be a fantastic time to get this off my chest.

"To be honest with you," I start, my voice cracking with uncertainty, disbelief, like I can't believe I'm actually saying this, "but since what happened this morning, with Clementine, it's been bothering me."

"What do you mean?" Brody queries. "Do you not like her or-"

"What? No!" I reply defensively. "Quite the opposite, actually. When I knew Clementine before, I knew I really liked her, and when I saw her again last night, I knew that I still wanted to be with her. Three years and nothing's changed, at all. The problem is-" I sigh heavily before resuming- "Louis. The fact that I've moved on is killing him. And I can't shift that guilt."

* * *

 **Clementine**

I impale another fish with the fishing spear given to me, and I'm rewarded with a celebratory cheer from Louis, who has had very little luck with the whole fishing experience. When he spears a fish, he throws his entire weight into in, resulting in a couple of close calls where Louis would become acquainted with the water. If it weren't for mine and Violet's quick reactions, he would have fallen in three or four times by now.

"Come on fish," he pleads, readying his spear awkwardly, his brow furrowed with concentration. "You know you want to get stabbed and eaten, let it happen!"

"Louis!" Violet chimes up from behind, placing her catch in the dented bucket, which is brimming with fish. Between the two of us, and Louis not scaring the fish away, we make a pretty good fishing team. "Try not to throw yourself in this time!" I turn around to see her with a wry smile plastered across her face, enjoying this outing, and feeling good about our yield.

The stories I had about my time with Alex were a great source of interest to Louis and Violet, that is, the silly, goofy times we had back at the camp. I didn't dare utter anything about New Frontier or any of our outings out of respect for her, but the various silly things we got up to did wonders in breaking the ice and lightening the tone. I told them the story where Alex was convinced she could do a handstand, and then demonstrated that she could. Except she toppled over and tore our tent down. It was funny at first, until I noticed the tip of one of the metal tent pegs protruding from her torso, near her hip, blood seeping across her shirt and pooling onto the ground.

"She got patched up", I had said, the pair shifting their focus between myself and the fish, "and I had to head out to scout some supplies. When I got back, she had pitched the tent back up on her own."

Louis shared his own story: how he went out on a hunting trip, and when he had returned, Alex had tuned the piano in the admin building by herself too. He only discovered this when he played it and took a couple of seconds to realize that it was _actually in tune_. As soon as he finished speaking, he heaves his spear into the lake, piercing a fish. He retrieves the spear, a look of pride evident in his beaming face.

"Gotcha, ya little bastard," he taunts the fish, before placing it in the full bucket.

"Come on," Violet speaks up, taking the spears away from myself and Louis, "we've got as much as we can carry. We should check on the others, see how they're doing."

* * *

 **Alex**

"Okay, okay," I murmur, struggling to regulate my panicked breathing, "someone has fucked with these traps." I quickly spring to my feet, having just examined the sabotaged snare, and pull my gun out from my belt. I point it downwards, clasped in both hands, ready for use. "And I bet they're still around here."

Aasim pulls an arrow from the quiver fastened to his back, and notches it onto the bow string, ready. Brody, however, is still transfixed to the snare I just looked at, her breathing heavier and more anxious than mine, a mixture of panting, reassuring phrases and swearing. In the distance, I eye our fishing crew, Louis waving cheerily. He quickly stops when he realizes something's not right, and the three of them jog up to us, the bucket Louis is clutching clattering noisily alongside them.

"What's going on?" Clementine asks seriously, but not without an affectionate squeeze of my arm; her way of saying 'hello'.

"The snares have been tampered with," I respond, fighting hard to mask the panic. If the others get wind that I'm panicking, it all falls to shit. "The ones that have been triggered are empty and the rest have been damaged. This is not good."

"What's that?" Clem asks, stepping toward a trap we've not yet examined. She crouches down and picks something up. It looks like a cigarette. "Is this a bible page?"

"Lemme see," I say, crouching down, taking it from her. I turn it in my hands, and notice the tip is smouldering.

"This isn't yours?"

"God no! The world may have fallen to shit, but I still show some respect." I grumble. "Yet..." I trail off, still examining the tip.

"Yet?"

I place it to my lips and inhale, the tart, damp-tasting tobacco causing me to violently choke. I've smoked some nasty stuff, but this is the worst I've had.

"This is still lit," I utter through my coughing, "wasn't stubbed out properly. Whoever did this is not far."

"Guys!" Violet calls from nearby, interrupting us. "Get over here!" I pull myself to my feet, and extend a hand to pull Clementine up, before darting over to Vi. And then we see it.

"Jävla skit," escapes my lips.

"English, Alex?" Louis prompts, his gaze fixated on what Violet wanted us to see.

"Oh fuck..." I correct myself, my sight also locked onto _it_ , "... what the fuck..."

A walker, caught up in the snare, dangling in front of us, unmoving, dead, with a sharpened stick rammed through the back of its gaping, jawless mouth.

"I... we never did this..." Aasim utters, he too struggling to comprehend what's happening.

"I found this too," I declare, holding up the bible cigarette. "And no, it ain't mine. Some disrespectful asshole who likes fucking with our traps and stealing our food." Clementine, Louis, Violet, Aasim, AJ, and I all exchange nervous glances, Brody's cursing resuming from just outside the circle we've formed. Violet steps away from the group and slowly approaches her.

"You're gonna be fine," she says softly, "it's just another panic attack."

Clementine steps forward slowly, and quietly says "Take a second, breathe in deep and hold it-"

"Just shut the fuck up, okay?!" Brody snaps, turning around and almost squaring up to Clementine, that is, until I step in between them.

"Brody," I growl warningly, "watch yourself..."

Clementine pushes me aside and steps up to Brody, clearly not needing me for a bodyguard. "Excuse me?"

"Oookaaay I think that's enough hating each other for one day," Louis chimes up, his attempt at diffusing the tension. He turns to me. "Alex, what's the plan? I don't plan on eating rocks."

"You can't eat rocks!" AJ protests.

"I'm aware."

Six pairs of eyes turn and lock onto me, awaiting our next steps.

"The plan..." I murmur, wiping my brow. "Marlon needs to know about this, stat," I say, holding up the still-smouldering bible cigarette, "so Brody and Aasim need to get back to the school. You can take the fish with you, but that all has to be used tonight. Tomorrow we're back in the same situation; struggling for food. So we'll need to find more, especially since we've lost what was in the snares. Violet, Louis, Clementine, you've done some fantastic work today, but we need more. It's back to the hunt for you guys, and I'm so sorry you can't put your feet up yet."

"What about you?" Brody asks shakily.

"I'm staying out with these guys. I'm gonna catch the fucker who did this," I reply boldly, "maybe fuck up his face for fucking up our traps... sorry little dude." In the panic of the situation, I had forgotten AJ was standing right there, just beside Clementine. I give him a gentle pat on his shoulder, and he beams up at in me in response. "Okay, we have our jobs, let's get moving."

But before we do, I pull Aasim to one side, and ask him to keep an eye on Brody, before letting him go, bucket of fish in hand. As soon as Brody and Aasim are out of earshot, I immediately turn to the others and admit, "I have no idea what we're gonna do."

"But we'll figure something out," Clementine reassures, "we always have."

"I know, Clem, but this area is dry. And I know you two-" Violet and Louis- "know it's hopeless as well. You're not fooling me."

"There has to be something nearby," Violet adds, although her face shows she's far from convinced by what she's saying.

"I know, maybe we could- shit." I feel around in all my pockets, before realizing I've forgotten to grab Marlon's map. Not that I needed it now, but it would have been so useful to scout the area.

"Something wrong?"

"Forgot to bring the map," I groan, throwing my head back with frustration. The other two look at me, unsure of how to respond. "I've had a lot of my mind recently, okay?"

"Seems like you've had more than that elsewhere too," Violet teases.

"OH FOR FUCK'S SAKE VI!"

* * *

 **Alex**

The train station; Clem's suggestion. A place outside the safe zone that I avoided because the possibility of getting boxed in seemed so likely. And now, as we look down on the floods of walkers milling between the abandoned boxcars, my fear was more than justified.

"Al? Alex? You in there?" A tattooed hand is waved in front of me.

"Whuh?" I snap back into focus.

"What do you think?" Clementine asks as she gently brushes her fingers along the back of my hand as I'm leaning against the derailed train, the soft touch reassuring my frayed nerves.

"I think we're fucked."

"I see you've maintained your sense of positivity," she mocks, good-natured but teasing smile equipped.

"But Clem, just _look at them_. How are we gonna slip by?"

"With that." She points towards a bell attached to a signpost.

"Huh."

"The noise will draw them away."

"And if we ring it from up there-" I point to the top of the derailed boxcar, and then to the track leading to the station- "then it'll clear a path down the middle here."

"Perfect."

We creep back to the others, who are apprehensively anticipating a plan.

"You look like you've got an idea," Louis addresses us upon our return.

"The noise from that bell could draw a lot of walkers," Clementine explains. "If one of climbs up there and starts ringing it..."

"Louis. I vote Louis." Violet's hasty nomination.

"Uh, hold on. I'd like to make an alternate suggestion." Louis protests to Violet. "I vote Alex. She's a badass, she can handle this. Maybe you can show Clem how awesome you are." He offers a cheeky wink, which I respond to a swift cuff around his head. "Hey! What was that for?"

"Thanks for the nomination, you ass!" I hiss. "I don't mean to brag, but I'm the best fighter you've got, and I want to be down here in case anything goes south!"

"How modest of you."

"Look at me!" I whisper-shout, before frantically patting myself down. "Years on the road, and no bites!"

Louis flicks a skeptical wave of his eyebrows at me. "Except you've been stabbed by a tent peg, so you haven't come away unscathed."

"Clem, did you-"

"Alex, I'm sorry!"

I can't believe this. One of my most embarrassing injuries, out into the open. I can't stay mad though, the thought of the stupid handstand disaster causes a smile to flicker across my lips.

I'm interrupted by Louis' musing: "I always wondered what that scar was..." I'm covered in scars: my New Frontier Brand, the tent peg's damage, my arms, a gunshot wound on my left shoulder, from when I got shot after losing Clementine, my face, and my hand. Louis has seen them all but knows nothing about most of them. Whenever he asked, I answered with silence.

"Guys! That's enough!" Violet insists, reigning in our off-topic disagreement. "Louis, Alex, you're _both_ going up there!" We groan. "And Clem, I'll give you cover."

"Signal us when you're ready to get into the building, we'll get the walkers to move, right Lou?" I suggest, making sure that everyone is on the same page.

"Right." A quick sideways glance at him shows that he's really not happy about this. He picks himself up and starts to make his way over to the bell post, to retrieve our noisemaker.

"But if anything does happen, I will leap down to give you girls a hand, alright?" I offer, straightening up too. I extend a hand to pull Clementine up, which she accepts. With ease, I heave her to her feet.

"Only as a last resort," she insists, her eyes pleading with me. "No heroics."

"Okay."

"Promise?" she presses, stepping even closer to me, one of her steps glancing the tip of my boot.

"I promise," I answer with a soft smile, before leaning in for a brief kiss. As soon as our lips make contact, the butterflies spring to life again, and I can't believe this is actually happening. I got the girl, within twenty-four hours after finding her again - twelve hours - I can't believe my luck.

I feel her hand loosely clasp mine as she sinks into the kiss, the other gently, though progressively with more force, grabbing at the base of my jacket, pulling me in closer. I place my free hand on her shoulder and play with her jacket collar.

We break the kiss, even though I really don't want to. Screw the food.

I smile and whisper, "See you on the other side, Clem." A phrase we coined back when we were in New Frontier, and the way her faces lights up squeezes my heart, in a way where I want to hold onto her and never let go. Genuine happiness, that bright, beautiful smile flashing at me, the moonlight dancing in her eyes. The stirring in my chest is unlike anything I've ever felt before. It's so strong, even stronger than the feeling I had when I was with Louis.

I love her. I actually, truly, stupidly love her.

But it's way too soon to say it.

"Now, go help Louis," she instructs me, releasing my hand. I pull the bandanna over my face, ready to move. I mentally tell Clem 'I love you' before joining the man who I've said those same words to, standing by the boxcar. God, I'm such a shit.

"You're not a shit," Louis says to me. I freeze, and it takes me a couple of moments to register that I said that out loud.

"But, me and Clem, it's not fair on you and-"

"That's just it, it's you and Clem!" he insists. "I don't matter in this, all that counts is that you two are happy." He softens, before adding, "You really need to stop worrying about me, Lex. I'm not your problem anymore." He crouches down with his hands cupped together, and I place my boot in them. He hoists me up, and I scramble onto the box car. I lower a hand for Louis to pass up Chairles, the bell, and then for him to grab onto.

"With your loudmouth," I return as he leaps up and grips my hand, "you're always my problem." I heave him up with a grunt, and when he climbs on, he laughs at me.

"I appreciate the concern."

"Come on, let's put your loudmouth to good use," I chuckle, extending the bell for Louis to use. "Dynamic Duo?"

With a devious smirk, Louis replies, "Fuck yeah."

He takes the bell, and we move along the box car. I start up the commotion with a sharp whistle, which causes some of the deadheads to sluggishly lurch towards us. Louis also starts shouting too, bashing the bell on the boxcar we're standing on, the impact of it vibrating through the metal and buzzing through my feet. To add to the racket we're making, I pound Chairles against the boxcar too. A quick thumbs-up from Clementine says the three of them are ready to move to the first set of cover; a small gathering of empty metal barrels. I start shouting ever louder, masking Louis' jokes and wisecracks, to ensure that the walkers won't turn around when Clementine, Violet, and AJ make a run for it. My throat is already feeling raw, but I keep going, extending a hand signal to get the trio on the ground to run now. And I stop shouting, I stop breathing, while they make a break for it.

They dart across and duck behind cover, the walkers not noticing them slipping through. Once they're behind the barrels, I let out an exhale of extreme relief.

"They're in position, let's move these fuckers!" I shout to Louis, who gives me a nod and resumes to smash the bell on the boxcar as he moves down it. I follow him, shouting as I sidestep along. They begin to follow, snarling and moaning as they do. We draw them along to the end of the second boxcar, before we decide to sit on the edge of it, our legs dangling as we wait. I'm tempted to pull my bandanna down but looking at the swarm of the dead changes my mind. The stench would force me to endlessly vomit until I puke my lungs up.

The small talk we engage in is nice. It takes me back to the day after we first met, although this time, my arms aren't singing with the stinging sensation of being sliced to pieces.

"You know," Louis says, "Clementine thinks the world of you." I blush.

"And I think the world of her too."

"I mean it," Louis presses, offering a warm smile, "most of the stories she told about herself involved you too. It was like you and her were a package deal, not to mention she had _a lot_ of stories about you both."

I chuckle. "Nothing bad, I hope."

"Please, she may as well have said 'I absolutely adore Alex' because that was the vibe I was getting."

"We were close, back then, real close. I was just too chickenshit to say anything."

"She didn't say anything either, y'know."

"Then I guess we're both as bad as each other." We both laugh, except we're cut off with the door to the station being kicked open, splinters of wood flying everywhere. "Shit! Time to Move!" I yelp as I leap to my feet, gun at the ready. Louis discards the bell, and I toss Chairles to him, which he catches with ease. We both run along the length of the boxcars, Violet, Clementine, and AJ sprinting alongside, on the ground, bags in hand. Violet swings her cleaver at a walker's head and kicks it off. I watch as Clementine struggles with another walker, her hands tied up with the bag and her knife.

I draw my knife and launch myself off the boxcar, landing on the walker and tearing it off Clem. I wrestle with it before plunging my knife into its skull, and it stops moving. I throw it off me before picking myself up, dark blood soaking into my shirt. We dart to the end of the path, and weave through the barriers. I swing at another walker and yank the blade out. I step over its corpse. Louis drops down to join us and takes a hit at one of the dead with Chairles, caving in its skull with a sickening _crunch_.

"Fuck fuck fuck!" I yell. "Let's move!"

"What happened in there?" Louis worriedly asks as we run.

Violet cuts between us, sprinting even faster. "Just move!"

Violet's sudden increase in speed catches me off-guard, and I stumble slightly, bumping into AJ and knocking him flying. I stop and spin, whereas the others keep running ahead. The walkers are closing in on AJ, who is only just picking himself up.

"Clem!" he calls after, who is now several paces ahead of me, with Violet and Louis. They all stop, and the fear on Clementine's face

"Keep going!" I shout to her. "I've got him!"

I sprint back, take a walker out on the way, before reaching the kid, who's stood up, gun pointed at the ready. He fires a bead at a walker, snapping its head back violently. I follow his lead, switching my knife to my left hand, and drawing my gun with my right. I fire off a round, which echoes noisily in the night air. I tell AJ to follow my lead, but as soon as a I turn around, I'm face with a walker, way too close for me to do anything about it. It lunges at me, and all I can do is hold it as far away from me as possible. Its jaws snap at me as I try to throw it away, but this one is _heavy_. The more I grapple with it, the more my arms buckle, drawing the walker closer.

This is it. This is how it ends. In a few seconds I'm going to get bitten, either by this walker or another one that decides to sneak up on me.

The head of the walker I'm wrestling with suddenly jerks sharply in one direction, snapping its neck in the process. It goes limp, and I drop the decaying body. I gaze up to see Louis, brandishing Chairles, his face stony and serious.

"You... you do _not_ tell Clem that happened." The fact that my 'heroic' attempt to save AJ nearly got us both eaten in the process would make her flip. I can't screw this up with now, not so soon after starting... whatever it is we have. A relationship? I'll have to think about how I'd bring that up.

"Come on," Louis instructs, no wisecracks, no jokes, nothing. We both know that was way too close.

* * *

 **Clementine**

I cannot even begin to describe the floods of relief I'm experiencing as Louis, Alex, and AJ come into view. As soon as Alex went back after AJ, Louis declared he was following too, and insisted that Violet and I went ahead. More walkers pushing through the trees, drawn in by the two gunshots, added weight and urgency to his request.

"You trust Alex, don't you?" he had asked. Of course I did, I trusted her with everything and anything. I let him go to give her an extra hand, Violet pulling me away, reassuring me that the pair had it all under control. It was a surreal feeling, knowing that I wasn't the only person available to protect AJ, again. Alex earned my trust with him a long time ago, and that hasn't faded in the slightest.

As they draw nearer, I notice AJ is leading Alex along by the hand. She pulls the bandanna off her face, and I can see she looks exhausted, the bags under her eyes even heavier, the increased sleep deprivation getting to her. AJ releases Alex's hand and sprints up to me, clinging around my waist. I give him a reassuring squeeze on his shoulder, before looking over to the drained Alex. She smiles softly, weakly, the scarring on her face twitching as she does so. I offer a smile back, a smile that says, 'thank you', before we all head back to the boarding school.

Before I can even begin to protest, Alex takes the duffel bag off me as we walk, and replaces it with her hand, her fingers lacing between mine. Her hands are slightly sweaty, but I don't mind. It's been a difficult and stressful day for us, and I'm glad we got away unharmed. Louis and Violet lag behind us, exchanging quiet whispers. After getting to know Louis, I understand why Alex fell for him. I can imagine she was in such a vulnerable emotional state when she arrived at the school, much like I was after losing AJ. In a way, at that moment, she moved on from me, in the same way I moved on from her.

I mean, I never really got over losing her, but I was able to deal with it, even if the brief moment of happiness I had after her was short-lived. Gabe... I really miss him. Just thinking about him brings back memories of the first and only kiss I shared with him; tearful, bloody, the taste of death prominent. I feel a hot tear spill down my face, and I automatically go to wipe it.

"You okay, Clem?" Alex chimes up, immediately noticing my quick attempt to mask my crying.

"I'm fine."

"That's a lie."

"I said _I'm fine_."

"You can tell me later if you want," she offers. "I get you don't want to let it out in the open."

"Thank you," I whisper, squeezing her hand.

"No worries, I just want my little orange to be happy."

I cock my head at her and laugh. "Your _orange?_ "

"Y'know," she replies bashfully, "Clementine, orange, they're in the same family of fruit..."

"I'll take it," I giggle. "It's miles better than 'shorty' anyway."

"It's not a replacement, just another nickname," she jokes, nudging me as we walk. "For you are a short orange."

"And you're really harsh!"

"I prefer 'cute'."

"You are pretty cute, I'll let you have that one."

Alex blushes really hard and lets out a strangled giggle, unsure of how to respond to my compliments, despite deliberately setting them up. She clears her throat before speaking again, the pink tint to her face not fading.

"So, uh... I get that what happened this morning, with us, was really-"

"-fucking fast?" I finish with a smirk. "You might have mentioned it, once, twice, fifty times."

She snorts. "Brutal. Look, I was thinking, and this is only if you want this..." She looks down at me as we walk, her dark blue eyes sparkling, a few loose strands of her hanging over her face. "... maybe we could be, uh... official?" There was a notable voice crack when she said 'official' and it was the sweetest thing I've ever heard.

"I'd love that," I say softly, unable to stop my grinning.

"Awesome," she whispers back, scar stretching so hard it's almost invisible. She bites her bottom lip, struggling to contain her excitement.

My girlfriend, yes!

* * *

 **Alex**

As soon as I got back to the school, I skipped dinner, headed straight to my room and immediately crashed. I could barely keep my eyes open. I don't know how much, or how little, sleep I got, but I'm woken up by my door creaking open. My eyes snap open, but everything is a blurry mess.

"Alex?" Clem's voice.

"Mmm?"

"You awake?"

"Nah, I'm sleep talking."

A soft giggle sings through the air, followed by footsteps drawing closer to the bed. I pull myself up, allowing her space to sit on the bed. I run my hand through my loose hair, and Clementine gasps. I stop and register that my jacket is neatly draped over my chair, my bare arms exposed, scars visible. Yet, as she comes closer to examine them, I don't feel embarrassed, but relaxed. She takes my right arm and with a delicate forefinger, traces along the different scars, from my wrist to my elbow.

At this distance, Clementine is only just in focus without my glasses, but the concentration etched on her face makes her look stunning. As her eyes scan up and down my arm, I notice her mouth hanging open ever-so-slightly, jaw unclenched. She traces back up my arm and starts playing with the little bead bracelet around my wrist. Before she even asks what it is, I provide an answer.

"Friendship bracelet, from Violet. We got into a fight when I first got here, me running my mouth off as usual, and this was her peace offering. She has one too y'know, but that's just our little secret. She would actually kill me if word got out."

"Despite the rough beginning you had, seems like you're close with everyone."

"I guess so."

Silence fills the air, as I'm debating whether or not to reveal how close I was to Louis.

"Something on your mind?"

I finally speak up.

"I was with Louis, a little while back."

"I know."

"How?"

"He kind of hinted it earlier, said he hurt you and let you down."

"With the spoon incident? I didn't break up with him because of _that_." I shuffle on the bed, tucking my leg underneath me so I'm practically sitting on it. "I broke up with him because of all the fucked-up shit I did before, and I wanted to seriously keep it quiet. These guys have been kinda sheltered all these years, not like us. After I stabbed that guy, some of the others were a little wary of me, and I didn't want everyone to think I was dangerous. I distanced myself from everyone for a while, not just Louis. I was tempted to leave, actually. Leave the school and never come back.

"I think one thing people don't realize about Louis, that despite his silly jokes, he is a really, really delicate person. He's been through a lot, like everyone, but does a really good job at hiding it. I added to it by splitting up with him, but I'd rather that than him knowing how violent I can get. That someone he truly, deeply cared about is a fucking monster." My voice cracks as I speak, finally coming to terms with all the heinous things I did years back.

She sits there, quietly listening. I pull my shirt collar over my left shoulder, revealing the gunshot wound.

"See this? After I got separated from you, I wandered for a while. I came across a farm, and they fired a shot at my feet. A warning shot, I guess. I disregarded it. I was too fucking arrogant to think they didn't have to balls to shoot a then-fifteen-year-old girl, but they shot me again, this time hitting me in the shoulder. You know what I did?"

She shakes her head, but still says nothing.

"I got some gasoline, came back after nightfall, and torched their house down. I think there was a... family... living there." I can't stop the tears running down my face, and I begin to sob softly. Clementine cradles me in her arms, and I rest my head on her shoulder. "I just... I don't even recognize that person anymore. I want to forget about her existence, and I don't want anyone else to know that's who I used to be."

Clementine plants a soft kiss on my head. "It's okay, Alex. We've all done things we regret. Even me. I... I took AJ away from a suitable and capable parental figure, just so I could have him back. And I was so, so fucking selfish. I spent years dragging him along on the road, without a plan, without a fucking idea of what I was supposed to be doing." I feel her hot tears spill onto my head, soaking into my hair. I sit up to look at her, tears streaming down her face now. With a free hand, I gently wipe the saltwater away from her cheeks.

"You two have got a home here now," I state. "And better yet, it's the three of us again, and that's the way it's gonna stay, no matter what. _You're the best and you make being alive great._ That's what I said, or rather, wrote years back, and I still stand by it. You are literally my most favorite person, _ever_. Whatever you did before, doesn't matter to me. You're you and I wouldn't want it any other way." Awkwardly, I go to push up my glasses, which aren't even there, as tears of happiness pour from Clem's face. Before I can even register what's happening, she leans forward and kisses me, the taste of salt prominent as we lock lips.

"I don't know what I'd do without you, Alex," Clem says softly, before giving me another quick peck.

"Well," I offer with a bashful shrug, "you don't have to find out. I'm yours for as long as you want me."

"Always, Alex, always," Clementine says, punctuating each word with a kiss.

"Ingrid... the first name's Ingrid..." I say with a slight shudder.

"You'll always be Alex to me."

"That's because I am Alex."

"Dork."

"No arguments from me there."

I kiss her again, except it's slower, and lingers. She presses her weight back onto me, pushing me onto my back. She kisses me harder, and I swear I can feel a slight flicker of a tongue. I kiss her harder, pulling her hair out of the hair tie and letting it tumble onto my face. She peels her jacket off, discarding it on the floor, before linking her fingers through mine.

Then we hear voices travelling through the pipes, and we stop.

"What the fuck?" I hiss, unable to comprehend what's happening.

"Where do those pipes lead?"

"The basement..."

* * *

 ***gasp* A cliffhanger! That's all for me this time.**

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 **Until next time,**

 **Subtle.**


	9. End of the Reign

**Oh man, it's been a long time since I've updated this, been so caught up in a lot of different things, but I managed to piece this one together! Hopefully we should be seeing more progress from me soon!**

 **At the moment we're looking at 37 favourites and 43 follows, which is super cool! Thank you all!**

 **So let's get on with our review replies:**

 **Jestalnaker9000: thanks again for your continued support! I will check your recommendations out too, I've just been swamped with so many different things recently!**

 **'Bless' Guest 1: you're most welcome!**

 **'Bless' Guest 2: awh, thank you! I felt like a female OC would really shake things up, offer something different really, glad you like it!**

 **Secret Life of Writing: staaaaahp, you're gonna make me blush! That's something I pride myself with this, really shaking things up! I've got the whole thing planned, and I guess the main plot stays mostly the same (as you'd expect for a rewrite). However, having Alex there may cause some differences... some slight, some more noticeable... DUN DUN DUUUUN! I'm also glad they've got each other too, this relationship starts a lot soon than Louis or Violet's, but these two have history, they're not strangers, they have shared experiences, and I quite like that, allows me to flesh more things out.**

 **Aaaaand that's it for now, on with the chapter!**

* * *

 **Clementine**

"The basement?" I ask warily, the voices passing through the pipes loud and frantic. Alex props herself up on her elbows, with me still sat on top of her. She stifles a yawn before speaking, the heavy bags under her eyes still there.

"I know I fucked off as soon as we got back," she starts, staring up at me, "but what happened? How did Marlon react to us going outside the safe zone?"

Before we arrived back at the school, Alex had already decided that the correctly-assumed, pissed-off Marlon was something she was way too tired to deal with, and wanted to put it off until the morning, hence her sudden disappearance as soon as we arrived.

"He wasn't happy, and when I told him about the guy we saw, Brody started freaking out, she shoved Marlon on his ass, and then I think they went to discuss it... do you think it's-"

"Those two arguing? Yeah." She pauses for a moment. "Wait... they went to _discuss_ it?" she queries, her brow furrowing into a perplexed scowl. I nod. "Why Brody? Why not me? Marlon has always discussed things with _me_."

"Maybe because you were asleep?"

"Nah, he's dragged me out of bed more times than I can even count to talk through urgent stuff." Her eyes dart around the room as she thinks, before returning to mine. "I've gotta baaad feelin' about this, Clem. Like I'm being kept in the dark about something."

"What are you saying?" I ask as I climb off her, the familiar phrase stirring the anxiety within me.

"I... I don't know," she mutters, pulling herself up and standing. "But I don't like it. I mean, they always argue down there, that's what happens in the totally dysfunctional relationship that is Brody and Marlon, a piece of matchmaking I totally regret, but... judging from what you said, they're arguing about that man you saw... that's a school security issue, that's something myself and Marlon discuss, no one else. As soon as the other kids get involved, panic spreads like fire. That's why we don't involve them." She scoops up my jacket from the floor and hands it to me. I also rise from the bed and pull it on.

"So, what do we do?" I note my hair tie lying on top of the slightly disturbed sheets of Alex's bed, scoop it up, and thread it onto my wrist. Tying up my hair can wait for now. I quickly scan the room for my hat before suddenly realizing that I left it back in my room. I watch as Alex grabs her gun from the desk beside her bed, checks the magazine, and places it in her belt. She also fastens her knife holder too and checks to make sure it's attached securely.

"We're gonna find out what's going on." Finally, she grabs her glasses and puts them on, the cute, geeky look overshadowed by the face of pure dread she's wearing. She clears her throat nervously.

"What's with the gun?"

"I haven't felt like this since the supermarket. It's just a precaution," she replies, her voice catching.

The supermarket. The first time everything went awful for us, the spiteful, yet truthful accusations, the right hook I gave her... it was not a good day. But Alex got bad vibes that day, and if she's getting bad vibes now...

"I trust your gut feeling," I reassure her, before stretching up to give her a quick kiss on the cheek. I have to go on tiptoes to reach. Her drained face flushes slightly, before quickly returning to that gaunt gray. "I'm just gonna check up on AJ before we head down."

"Right," she replies, pulling on her own jacket. As if right on cue, AJ nudges the door open and darts in.

"Clem!" he squeaks, running into me and clinging on. "I woke up and you weren't there!"

"It's okay, AJ. I'm sorry for leaving without telling you," I apologize, holding him closer. I waited until he'd nodded off before creeping out the room. I needed to ensure some level of privacy for myself and Alex. Ever since we got back and she skipped dinner, I've felt a kind of... itch... like I really, _really_ needed to be with her. I feel like between us, partly because we knew each other before, and partly because of Alex's newfound bravery, we've skipped the budding aspect of our relationship, the nervous, awkward aspect of it, mostly. Everything we've done so far just feels... right.

Alex crouches down to AJ.

"Clem and I have to investigate all this racket, so I'm gonna need you to stay put in here. Is that alright, little guy?"

"But... I wanna stay with Clem."

"Because you want to protect her, right?" He nods, still reluctant to let go. "You've seen me in action, I protect everyone, and I mean _everyone._ Do you trust me, AJ?"

Uncertain, he looks up at me.

"Alex asked if _you_ trust her, AJ, that's your call," I say. He shuffles nervously, before looking up at the bespectacled bilingual.

"I trust you."

Alex beams at the kid, and she flicks her eyebrows appreciatively. She clearly values the trust and respect of AJ.

"Good man. Right," she continues, straightening up, "let's get a move on. AJ, stay here, we'll be right back. This won't take long."

Dragging her hair out of her face as she walks, we emerge out of her room, and make a left down the corridor, the raised voices even clearer out here. Alex swallows nervously as she cocks an ear, trying to make out the still-muffled arguing. She takes in a deep breath and lets it out as we walk.

"Talk to me?" I suggest to her, looking up at her, her face drained of color and filled with dread, her eyes darting around. She doesn't answer, or even register that I've spoken, her mind clearly fixated on the task at hand, the echo of the angry voices bouncing off the walls. She pushes her glasses up her face before stepping up her pace, darting towards a door, the one leading to the basement. Alex twists the door handle, but it doesn't budge.

"Fuck."

"Locked?"

"Yep, from the inside."

"Is there another way in?"

"Through the cellar door, outside," she replies hoarsely, jerking a thumb towards the double doors that lead into the courtyard. "This way."

She leads the way to the courtyard, and as soon as we step outside, the wind whips around us, blowing our hair everywhere. The wind rushes in my ears, the howl of it deafening me.

"Where now?" I yell over the emerging storm.

"This way!" she shouts back, gesturing with an arm wave, strands of hair dancing across her face. I pick up my pace to keep up with her, and we make a left out the door, towards a cellar door hatch, padlocked shut. She jogs up to it, myself following behind, and she crouches down to inspect it, chewing her lip as she does so. Before I can ask what our next plan is, she reaches into her pocket and pulls out- no way.

A purple paperclip, crooked from its prior unravelling and from what I assume to be frequent use. The same damn paperclip from all those years ago. It takes me a moment to realize my jaw is hanging open, although Alex spots it before I do.

"Yeah, same paperclip from before..." She looks up at me, her face still gray. "I just hope this time everything goes a lot better."

And without saying another word, she inserts the paperclip into the padlock and works her magic. I imagine it pops open with a delicate _click_ , but there's no way I can hear it over this storm. Alex threads the padlock off the door and tosses it onto the grass beside her. She pulls herself to her feet and slides the bolt, allowing us access. I help Alex pull open the hatch, us taking a door each, before gazing down into the cavernous opening, the shouting voices crisp and clear.

"Ready?" she asks, extending her hand, her face looking like she's seconds from puking. I take her hand and give it a gentle squeeze.

"Ready."

 _I love you_ is a phrase that dances on the tip of my tongue, threatening to spill out. It's way too soon to say it. No, I shouldn't act like this is the last opportunity for me to say it. There will be another time, I know it. Alex raises her eyebrows at me, her chapped lips pursed in such a way that screams _I'm scared_. The scar looks squashed and completely drained of color, like the rest of her face.

"Then let's go," Alex whispers, before taking the lead, creeping down a step at a time. I inch behind her, cautiously scanning my surroundings as we move. It's dark. It takes a while for my eyes to adjust, but even after they do, it's difficult to see. Old metal shelves with boxes of random crap line walls of the basement. As Alex and I move into the shelter of the staircase, my ears stop ringing from the wind, but the shouting from Marlon and Brody is even clearer.

Alex raises a hand, signalling that we stop. She crouches down, and I follow her example. We listen to the raised voices.

"Dammit Brody!" Marlon. "We don't even know for sure it was them..."

"And he got away!" Brody snaps back. "How do we know he didn't follow them?" A brief pause. "How do we know he's not alone? Those bastards are back and it's only a matter of time before they find us. You know that!"

I look at Alex, who turns to face me at the same time.

 _Back?_ I mouth to her, unsure of what Brody means. Her shrug and uncertain shake of her head tells me that she doesn't know what's going on. We continue listening.

"I don't know shit," Marlon growls, "and neither do you!" He switches to a hiss: "Goddammit Brody, keep it together!"

"There you go again," she argues back, "getting so mad!"

"Well, what do you want me to do? You're making me mad!"

"Fuck's sake," Alex grumbles, picking herself up and moving closer to them, her hand hovering near the small of her back, by the gun. I follow behind her, gingerly placing each boot on the ground, silently praying that I don't make any noise.

"Oh, we have to tell the others," Brody pleads, her voice cracking, "about what you did..."

Alex steps up her pace and emerges into the flashlight beam. Marlon and Brody nearly jump out of their skin, and then freeze, as if stopped in time.

"Did what?" she asks simply, cocking her head to one side innocently. "What did you do, Marlon?"

Her hand inches around the grip of her gun and closes around it.

"Alex!" he exclaims nervously, his eyes darting around her. "What are you doing down here?"

"I'd ask you the same question, but I have a feeling you'd dance around that one too. Now, I'll ask you again, what did you _do_?" Her voice drops into a low, threatening tone. I decide it's my turn to emerge, and I creep out around Alex's left side.

"Clem!" Brody cries, a mixture of surprise, fear, and relief.

"Well, well," Marlon sneers mockingly, "untied hair, flustered expressions, no guesses what you two were up to."

"Shut the fuck up!" Alex snaps, her face burning bright red. "Answer the question!"

Nothing. Until Brody suddenly pipes up: "The man you met at the station! We got history with him!"

"We do?" Alex queries, her face getting even redder. "What history?"

"N-nothing!" Marlon stutters, shooting a wicked _shut-the-fuck-up_ look at Brody. "She's just acting crazy... Alex, you _know_ how she gets!"

Alex sighs deeply. I notice her grip get even tighter.

"I won't ask again," she says. "Now, answer. The fucking. QUESTION!" she screams, pulling the gun out and levelling it at Marlon. "WHO IS THIS GUY, WHY DO WE HAVE HISTORY WITH HIM, WHAT DID YOU DO?! ANSWER ME, GODDAMMIT!"

Marlon's hands fly into the air as he realizes what his friend is doing; aiming a gun at him. His flashlight beam bounces off the walls, and the immediate space in front of us is plummeted into darkness.

"Alex!" Brody screams. "There's no need for this!"

"Okay, okay," he says shakily, suddenly sweating buckets, "how about we all take a breath, yeah? Everyone cool it..."

"You're not telling me how this is gonna work out," Alex snorts with derision, "I asked a question, you answer it, _förstår du_?" She takes a step forward, her aim steady and unmoving.

"Uh, yeah Alex... I understand," he gulps, backing up. Her peppering of Swedish did not cause any confusion with either Brody or Marlon; clearly something she frequently does with them.

"Okay then," she starts again, the gun staying at the same level, "we're gonna try this again, except Brody's gonna answer." She glances over at the terrified girl, her face ghostly pale. It seems as if Alex notes how frightened she is and softens her tone. "Just tell me what happened Brode, you have nothing to be afraid of." The use of the nickname shifts Brody's scared expression into a nervous one.

"It's okay Brody," I affirm, "you can tell us." She casts a wary glance towards Marlon, and she shuffles away from him. _Red flag_.

After a deep breath, she answers: "The twins... Marlon let them take them."

Alex cocks her head, unsure of what she's hearing.

"Them?" I ask. "Who's _them_?"

"Th-that man, and another woman. They took Tenn's sisters, Marlon gave them up so we could escape. We came back, and we told everyone that walkers killed them."

Alex's jaw drops, unable to process what she's hearing. "They're... alive...?"

"I did it to protect everyone!" Marlon protests, his voice cracking in panic. "Otherwise they would have taken everyone!"

"They're _back_ to take everyone!" Brody snaps at him. "Don't you get it?!"

"I... I... I don't believe this... I can't believe what I'm hearing..." Alex stutters. She lowers the gun, and her eyes glisten with tears. "You looked me right in the eye and told me they died. You fucking _insisted_ on it... for a whole fucking year... you lied right to my face, you slimy weasel... I trusted you, you bastard..." A tear spills over and runs down her cheek. It drips off her jaw and soaks into her shirt, causing a small wet spot. "All that time I spent beating myself up, believing it was my fault they were dead, if I hadn't twisted my ankle the day before, they'd still be here... you're a fucking coward... and the entire school's gonna know. And Louis? You're gonna break his fucking heart."

"Then it looks like we'll have something in common."

Alex's face flares up, and she swings a swift right-hook across his jaw. Brody flinches, shrinks, and does nothing to intervene. He crumples in pain and drops to the floor, clutching his face.

"Go fuck yourself, Marlon," Alex snarls, and follows with a sharp kick to Marlon's stomach. He yelps in agony and spits blood across the concrete.

Brody shouts at Alex, trying to get her to stop. It does nothing, and Alex directs another kick at him. He shouts again, blood dribbling down his chin. A third kick produces a shrill, ear-piercing shriek, but not from Marlon. Without warning, Brody launches herself at Alex and the pair crash into one of the shelves nearby, knocking a couple of boxes onto the ground.

"What the fuck Brody?!" Alex screams as she shoves the auburn-haired girl off her.

"You're out of control!" she retorts and prepares to take a swing at my girlfriend. Without a moment's hesitation, I charge towards the pair and pull Brody off Alex. Brody takes a swing at me and connects the blow across my cheek. My vision sparks into a blinding white, and I tumble backwards, landing hard on my ass. As my jaw starts to ache, I notice Marlon scramble up and make a beeline for the cellar door. Alex notices this too, knocks Brody to one side, springs to her feet, and bolts in pursuit.

"MOTHERFUCKER!" she screams after him. "GET BACK HERE!"

I drag myself to my feet and sprint behind, making an extra effort to not trip up on the stairs. Before I can even reach the top, a gunshot rings from outside, stopping both myself and Brody dead in our tracks.

 _Oh fuck._

Brody and I trample on each other trying to get up the stairs.

The sight we're greeted with as we break the surface is a devastating one.

The wind is even more violent than when I ventured into the basement, whipping leaves around the courtyard in mini tornadoes. Rain fills the air, soaking into my jacket and hair, the sound of it hitting the concrete rushing into my ears. The boarding school kids crash out of the dormitories and freeze once they see what's happened. Shocked gasps rise from them, and a strangled sob escapes from Louis, who pushes his way through the crowd. AJ nudges his way through the path created by the comedic musician, and stares at the sight before him, processing everything that's happening.

Brody screams, collapses to her knees, and weeps.

Alex is drenched in blood. A dark scarlet patch covers the front of her shirt, the humorous text no longer visible. The front of her jeans is black, and her hands resemble a pair of bright red gloves. Flecks of it are also dotted across her face. But it's not her blood.

It's Marlon's.

She's crouched over his near-lifeless frame, desperately trying to stem the flow of blood gushing from his stomach with her small, crimson hands. It's like trying to repair a broken dam with a bandage. Her frantic muttering floats across the courtyard, desperate pleads, both of apology and wishes that this wasn't happening, and for Marlon to "Hang in there, pal, we'll get you help". She looks up at the gathering crowd, who stare back in horror.

"Someone fucking help me, goddammit!" she screams across to them, voice cracking from the panic. "Don't just stand there! Fuck's sake!"

Ruby wiggles her way through and dashes up to the pair; I also make my way across. The murmuring from the crowd grows even louder, and I can pick up some accusatory digs towards Alex and what might have happened. As Ruby sprints towards the pair, she drops to her knees, skidding across the grass slightly. I lower myself too, and it's not a pretty sight. Marlon's maroon shirt is virtually black, glistening with blood. The color in Ruby's cheeks drains instantly; she knows it's a lost cause.

"What happened, Alex?" I ask sharply, trying to snap her out of her incoherent rambling.

"Marlon... I'm sorry, I'm so fucking sorry..."

" _Alex_!" I yell, grabbing her by the shoulders. "Talk to me!" Her eyes lock onto mine, and I feel her shrink in my grasp.

"He... he went for the gun... it went off..." she chokes, tears streaming down her face, making tracks in the dirt and blood. "I swear I didn't mean for this to happen! I honestly didn't want this!"

A mumble from beneath us: "... this is my fault... I'm the reason we're in this mess..." Marlon, a trickle of blood leaking from the side of his mouth, his face nearly drained of all life.

"I just don't get why you didn't tell me about this..." Alex sobs, cradling her friend's head in her arms. "I would have kicked your ass first, but we could have fixed this, gone straight after the twins and rescued them..."

"What do you mea-" Ruby starts, but a sharp look and a shake of my head cuts her off. There will be plenty of time to explain this entire mess soon, way more time than what Marlon has right now.

"I was afraid you'd do more than just kick my ass," he continues, "and I knew I couldn't face the others if they'd known what had happened. I was scared."

"You could have told me, man, you could have told me..."

"I'm sorry Alex... I'm so sorry..."

"And you dragged Brody into it the whole time too... why would you do that to her, dude?" Alex presses, still reeling from the revelation. "She doesn't deserve tha-"

"I know, Al, I know. I've dragged her through so much shit... so much..." he murmurs with a weak pat of her arm. A single tear drips down his face, which changes to the realization of the fate that lies ahead of him. "I don't want this Alex... I don't want to die..." he whimpers, his voice shrill and child-like. He looks like a scared boy right now, terrified of what's waiting for him. Alex sits there, unsure of what to say to him. "Don't let me turn... please."

"Of course not, bud," she chokes, floods of tears breaking out. Ruby tries hard to mask her tears, with little success. I notice over the last minute or two the crowd by the dorms have slowly shuffled over and are now circling us.

"And look after the others, okay? You're in charge now, Alex."

She nods, crying even harder. "I don't want this."

"I _need_ you to do this for me," he croaks, his voice barely audible. "I know you won't fuck up like I did."

"Come on dude, don't do this to me!"

"Remember what Brody called you?" he asks with a soft, bittersweet smile. "She said, 'A natural, born leader,' and she's right."

"I can't do this on my own! Not without you!"

"You can... I know you can. They need you, more than ever now... and I need you to take care of them for me, better than I ever could."

"Marlon... don't put this on me... please..."

"I need you to be there for Brody for me... and Louis... I get what happened between you too, you had your reasons, and... it's great to see that you're starting to put all that behind you both, but you'll need to be the best friend that you can be for him..."

Alex continues to bawl, the sobs violently shaking her entire body. The storm thunders loudly overhead, the rain lashing down even harder. The rain hitting Alex's face had been taking traces of blood with it as it trickled down her face, her neck turning into an unsightly red-orange smear of bloody water. Louis squeezes beside me and crouches down beside Marlon. With his free hand, Marlon clasps Louis', transferring blood across, which soaks into Louis' coat sleeve, dancing across the threads and stitching. The pair lock eyes, yet don't say anything. Louis' face twists into an expression of anguish, so much he wants to say, settling on the tip of his tongue, yet is unable to bring those words into the air. Tears dance down his freckled face, but they're indistinguishable from the rain drops.

"I'm sorry..." the dying boy murmurs.

And quietly, softly, Marlon's eyelids droop shut.

Alex freezes, unable to believe what's happening, her eyes dancing between the various faces gathered around us. She tries to say something, but her voices catches, making her inaudible.

"Alex?" I press, needing her to repeat herself.

"We need to take care of him..." she says a little more clearly, her chin trembling.

"I'll do it," Louis pipes up flatly. His jaw is set still, and his face is stony. Alex nods in agreement and gently lays Marlon's head on the grass. She picks herself up and faces the group of boarding school kids. Their expressions are a mixture of grief, horror, and anger. Mitch fires a distrusting look straight at Alex.

"Okay..." she musters, "everyone needs to go inside. Go on, scoot."

No one moves a muscle. Until a harsh, accusing voice pipes up.

"She fuckin' killed him!"

"Fuck you Mitch!" Alex shoots back, her grief replaced with anger. "It was an accident!"

"So you say," he moves over to one side, Alex joins him, "and that's all we've got, _your_ word!"

"Fuck this," she spits, before storming off towards the front gate.

"Where are you going?!" Violet calls after her. Alex spins on her heel, but continues to walk backwards

"Fuck if I know!" she shouts back with a shrug. "But I ain't comin' back!" More uncertain murmurs from the crowd, questioning what she's supposed to be doing and so on. She yanks the gate open and disappears outside.

I launch to my feet. I sprint up to AJ, tell him "You need to stay here, I will be right back," and bolt after her. That gunshot is bound to draw a lot of walkers, and I'm not leaving her out there alone, nor am I risking dragging AJ out there with me.

Plus, I know if the others can't take care of Marlon, he will.

* * *

 **Clementine**

She's fast, but I catch up with Alex. Constantly shouting her name did nothing to slow her down, and we spend about five minutes weaving through the trees of the woods. In a blind burst of fury, I sprint and catch her, gripping her arm and pulling her to a halt.

"Alex!" I scold. "What the fuck are you playing at?"

"I. Killed. Marlon. What do you _think_ I'm doing?" she snaps, clearly in no position to think rationally.

"I think you're running away," I shoot back harshly, "after promising Marlon that you would look after everyone, that _you_ would fill his shoes!"

I don't mean it, at least completely, but I need something to drag her back to reality. It seems to do the trick. She bites her lip, before sharply pulling away. She goes to bury her face in her hands, but a glance at the crimson mess coating them convinces her otherwise. She folds her arms across her chest, trying to mask the bloody mess down her front.

"I don't know what I'm supposed to do!" she protests, her brow knitted with frustration, tears gushing down her face. "I fucked up so, so bad! I killed someone who those kids looked up to and relied on since the beginning of this mess... you can't just recover from that... _fuuuuck_..."

"We will deal with it as it comes, but right now, we can't stand out here, waiting to get eaten. Come back with me," I offer. "You said it wasn't your fault, you need to explain that to them, properly."

"Mitch didn't buy it, and the others will probably follow his example."

"Mitch has probably spent the last three years arguing with you at every corner, forget what he says! Now come on, let's go home and get you cleaned up, okay?"

"Brody will claw my eyes out as soon as she sees me."

"She'll have to get through me first."

"She touches you and I'll break her nose."

"Please, you know it won't come to that."

"Yeah... how the hell did I survive for so long without you?" Alex asks with a small, sad smirk, the scar twisting in a downcast way. Rain continues to lash down, chilling Alex and causing her to shiver violently. I brush a lock of loose hair out of my face before moving closer to her. I hold her pale, blood-covered face in my hands. Her eyes are still welling with tears, the glasses lenses covered in drops of water. Without another word, I lock my lips with her, in a soft, sad kiss. At first, she doesn't react, but it takes a second or two before she reciprocates. I can tell, though I know she cares, that her heart isn't in it, her mind elsewhere, preoccupied with the chaos we left behind at the school. We break, and she gives me a delicate kiss on my forehead.

"We're in this together now... everything that happened in that basement, that falls on both of us," I whisper gently, feeling the rain trickle through my hair and down my face.

"Us versus them."

"No, that's _not_ how it's going to be. They'll listen to you. They _have_ to."

"Fuck."

"They will listen Alex, I pr-"

"No, no," she interrupts, "we need to get back for Brody, the others don't know about what happened to the twins!"

And without another word, Alex grabs my jacket sleeve and sprints back towards the school.

* * *

 **Alex**

I crash through the front gate, only to find Violet and Brody screaming at each other, the others standing around in stunned surprise. I spy Louis kneeling by Marlon's corpse, clasping his cold hand, sobbing. The bloodied knife lying on the ground beside him tells me he took care of Marlon, like he said he would. I resist the urge to glance at the dead body, with no success. Seeing his lifeless frame chokes me up, and I have to bite my tongue to stifle a sob. Clementine notices this, as feel her hand gently place itself on my shoulder. She gives it a reassuring squeeze.

"How the fuck could you lie to everyone?" Violet screams over the rain, flailing her arms around.

"I got dragged into this!" Brody sobs, torn apart by the mayhem that unfolded moments ago. "I didn't know what else to do!"

"Bullshit!" Violet yells back. "You could have, oh, I don't know, _not_ let them be taken! Minnie and Sophie are gone and it's all your fault!"

"I said I'm sorry! What more do you want from me?"

"Sorry doesn't bring them back!" She spits violently. "They're _gone_ , and you made us believe they were dead, for over a fucking year!" The sharp look in Violet's eyes tells me she's on the brink of losing her shit. I steadily step up to the pair, scooting past Brody, and place my bloodied hand on Violet's shoulder.

"Come on Viv," I whisper softly, "back off."

She shrinks in resignation, struggling to come to terms with what she's just learned. The fact that she, and the others, were deceived for so long is one matter. The fact that the girl she was so madly in love with (wrongfully so, Louis and I felt, but that's a totally different story) could possibly still be alive is another entirely. She takes a moment to process everything that's happened, everything she's learned tonight, and cracks. With a strangled sob, she throws herself into my arms and clings on. She sobs deeply, and I've only seen her like this once before; a year ago, and without an audience. I pull Violet in closer, and I feel more hot tears run down my face, only to be instantly cooled by the pouring rain.

I stare at the stunned faces gazing at us, awestruck. None of them have seen Violet cry like this before. It's sharp, pained, unrelenting. I spy Tenn stood beside AJ, unsure of what to do, his tiny, scarred face hurt and confused.

"Right..." I find myself speaking up, still cradling Violet. I swallow nervously and my tongue darts over my chapped lips, drops of rain dancing across the surface of them. "Everyone... should go inside."

"What about Marlon?" Aasim asks warily.

"I'll take care of him," I respond solemnly.

"I'll help," Clementine offers, her eyes darting to make contact with mine before darting away again. That's a thing she does, where she won't look at you if she knows she has, or rather, we've fucked up. Guilt, uncertainty, a total loss of confidence. In me? Almost certainly.

"As if we're doing what you tell us," Mitch pipes up. "You fuckin' murdered him!"

Something in me snaps. I gently ease Violet to one side, before taking a few brisk, purposeful strides towards the towering boy. Without a word, I swing a fist that connects with his jaw. Sprawling across the grass, Mitch yells a mixture of curses at me before pulling himself back up. A mixture of cries flies through the air.

"Mitch!" Willy screams, immediately dashing to the older boy's side.

"Alex, back off!" Clementine yells, sprinting to my side. She grabs my arm and starts pulling me back towards the dorms. "Inside, now!" I hear a single, angry voice cut through the storm, and it boils my blood:

"Fuckin' bitch."

I stop walking and pull my arm out of Clementine's grip. I give her an angry, yet apologetic look that says _I'm sorry_ , before spinning on my heel. With a vicious cry of "MOTHERFUCKER!" I launch myself at Mitch again, sprinting across the grass. I'm intercepted by Violet, restrained further by Clementine, while Aasim, Willy, and Ruby hold Mitch back.

"I swear to God Mitch, I will beat the shit out of you!" I scream across at him, wrestling against the pair struggling to hold onto me.

"Why stop there?" Mitch yells back. "Why not kill me too?"

"I said it was a fucking accident!" I yell, tears returning. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen!"

"We can blame each other all we want later," Clementine snaps angrily, "but for now, I need you guys to bury Marlon while I get Alex cleaned up. I think it's best if she stays out of everyone's way right now."

No one argues with her, so she takes me back inside. She calls AJ, and he follows too.

* * *

 **Clementine**

I take Alex back to her room in total silence, rain dripping from our clothes onto the wooden floorboards. She stands there, unsure of what to do with herself. Alex stares at her worn boots and doesn't breathe a word. AJ watches Alex, studying her movements. He doesn't know what happened or why, and I can tell he seems uncertain about her.

"Alex," I approach her gently, "this might be a long shot, but do you have any spare clothes?" It's safe to say that these ones are absolutely ruined, and she won't be caught dead in them, soaked in her friend's blood, killed by her own hand.

Quietly, she whispers, "Yeah, top drawer."

I follow her instructions and yank open the drawer, only to find a couple of old, worn shirts, and a single pair of jeans, even more torn than the pair she's currently wearing. I pull out a shirt, unravel it, and spy a faint brown stair near the bottom, and a tear, both on the front and back, near the bottom. A tear caused by a sharp tent peg.

"I grew into that shirt," she says weakly. "It'll be fine." Way back in New Frontier, that shirt hung off her. I pull the clothes out of the drawer, gently close it, and rest the clothes onto her bed, sheets still disturbed from us earlier. "And there should be a bucket and a rag in that closet, and there's plenty of rainfall, should fill up in no time." I look at her, impressed how she seemed to have read my mind. "We don't have running water here y'know, that shit stopped long before I even got here."

"Some places still had water," I state, thinking back to the cabin where I found Luke and the others. My heart aches as I think of them, and their fates. They all deserved better than to die the ways they did. I tried to help, but I knew when there was nothing more I could do. Sarah was trapped beneath that rubble, and the ice Luke was on was way too thin to walk on. Fuck...

"Maybe so, but I reckon that's long gone too."

"Yeah, it is."

I follow Alex's instructions and take the bucket outside. As I wait for it to fill, I watch the others coordinate burying a grave for Marlon, Brody now beside his body. They struggle to cut through the mud, using nothing more than cups and bowls, Louis coordinating the digging, with some bickering emerging between Aasim and Mitch.

"Clem?" AJ speaks up from beside me.

"Yeah?"

"Why did Alex kill Marlon?"

"She... didn't mean to."

"But she still did."

"It was an accident. She said Marlon went for the gun, and it went off. Sometimes it happens."

"I thought Alex knew how to use a gun."

"She does, but when it's being wrestled out of your hands, things can go wrong."

"Have you ever accidentally killed someone?"

 _Lee. Kenny. Sarita._

"No," I answer evasively, fighting hard to ignore the guilt rising up from inside me. I don't want to get into it, not now.

* * *

 **Alex**

Clementine enters my room with the filled bucket in tow, AJ warily eyeing me from behind her. I'm sat on a flimsy wooden chair, to save sitting on and soaking my bed. She places the bucket on the floor, pulls out the rag, and wrings it out. With a free hand, she removes my glasses, folding one arm in and the hooking the other on her shirt. She places the cold, damp rag on my jaw, and starts wiping away the blood. She traces along my chin, and gingerly rubs the cloth across my scar, ensuring she doesn't apply too much pressure. The dog bite scar on her arm was also super delicate to direct pressure, hence her cautiousness. The rough fibers tingle my skin, and I recoil.

"Sorry," she whispers sheepishly, before pressing on to wiping up my neck, some water dripping down and soaking into the collar of my shirt. "Come on, let's take your necklace off," she says as she drapes the rag over the rim of the metal bucket. "You don't want bloody water soaking into the cord."

I don't suggest anything otherwise, and she loops the cord over my head, placing it on the top of the chest of drawers. She returns to the rag and continues to mop down my neck. Once she's finished cleaning, she looks at me, embarrassed. She awkwardly brushes a lock of curly hair out of her eyes; she looks stunning with her hair down, the curls dancing as she moves.

"We've got the rest of you now..." she murmurs nervously. I take the rag from her and clean my hands off with it.

"It's cool, I've got this," I declare. "I'll see you both in a bit."

"We'll be outside," Clem returns with a loving smile, causing my heart to flip. She ushers AJ outside, and closes the door behind her. I undress, clean Marlon's blood off myself, and redress, all while contemplating what I should do with the bloodied clothes lying in a pile on the floor.

Probably burn them.

The shirt with the tent peg tear fits better than it did three years ago, but I never got around to patching up the hole. The tear on the front is exposed, revealing the scar that was produced alongside it. I don't care too much about this, since they're not soaked in someone else's blood. Despite the change of clothes, I can still smell the sharp metallic scent, as if it's burned into my nostrils.

 _Marlon, I'm so sorry dude._

I grab my necklace, study the ring in the dim moonlight, before pulling it over my head. I open the door and step outside, where Clementine is waiting for me.

"Hey Clem," I offer, outstretching my arms towards her. She steps towards me, wrapping her arms around my torso. I pull her in tightly, and plant a soft kiss on her wet forehead, before resting my cheek there. I feel a soft kiss on the side of my neck, before she rests her head on my shoulder. Before I can catch myself, my exhausted brain allows the following phrase to slip out:

"Jag älskar dig."

"Hm?"

"Nothing, nothing, I'm just glad you're here with me throughout this."

"What are we going to do now?"

"I really don't know, but I know if I step outside, everyone will kick off. Man, this feels like some really bad dream."

"Not all of it is a dream," Clementine offers. "I'm here, and I'm very real."

"Well, you are pretty dreamy," I respond, feeling a small smirk dart across my face. Clementine beams awkwardly, flustered at the compliment. I watch as her eyes shimmer at me. She shuffles slightly closer and presses her nose against mine. She clasps my face in her soft hands and traces her thumb back and forth on my left cheek, slowly inching closer towards my mouth. She switches to a very delicate forefinger, tracing the scar from just below my nose, across my lips, and down my chin. My scar tingles, but not in the same way as the rag caused it to earlier. Apprehension.

"And you're pretty cute."

"Heh," I squeak, like a total dumbass. I hear her soft breathing fill the air around us. My mouth dries out, and my breath catches in my throat.

Above the groaning of the old building, Clementine whispers, "I adore you, so much."

"I... I adore you too."

My heart beats harder as I register what she says. She tilts her head slightly as she looks up at me. She pushes herself up on her tiptoes and clumsily brushes her lips against mine, before pulling me in harder. I move my lips against hers again, pulling her body closer against mine. I feel my glasses, still hung in Clem's shirt, stab into me, and I feel her pull away.

"Shit, I don't wanna break your glasses!" she laughs.

"So you broke off the kiss instead! Priorities, woman!" I whine, before diving in for another. We both need a moment to forget about the shit we need to deal with soon. I embrace the relief, and savor the kiss. Soft, gentle, reassuring, our way of telling each other everything will be okay. We ease away from each other, grinning awkwardly. I say, "You know, you should wear your hair down more... it looks amazing."

"I tend to save it for special occasions," she says teasingly.

"Such as?"

"Times I won't get grabbed."

"Oh, I can't promise that. You've got a better chance of getting away from a walker than escaping an Alex hug."

"Except I know that you're extremely ticklish."

"Oh no no NO! CLEM, STOP!" I shriek as she digs her fingers in my ribs, forcing pained laughter from me. I crash against my dorm door, bashing it open. We tumble into my room, myself landing on my back, Clementine on top of me. "Thanks for breaking my door," I joke, her hair tickling my nose.

"Don't be overdramatic, you didn't shut it properly."

We watch each other for a moment, Clementine's jaw unclenched, her mouth hanging open ever-so-slightly. And then my mind leaps to everything that's happening outside.

"What are we gonna do, Clem?" I ask, dragging a sombre atmosphere over us. Her eyebrows knit together, and her eyes cloud with worry.

"I don't know Alex, I really, really don't know."

* * *

 **Well... that could have gone a lot smoother... how are Alex and Clementine going to resolve this? I guess we'll have to find out next time...**

 **If you enjoyed this chapter, drop a review and let me know what you think! If you're new here, and like what you're reading, drop a follow or a favourite, and you'll be updated as soon as a new chapter is released.**

 **Thanks again for all your support guys!**

 **Until next time,**

 **~Subtle**


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